Wild Hearts
by The-Guardian-Shadow
Summary: After coming back to the states from the Army, Jane is on the search for something she's not sure of yet. With Jake, a heroic war dog, by her side travingly the country by foot, they come across a ranch that was secretly harvesting their future. Rizzles AU
1. Chapter 1

**This sl has been in my head for a while. I finally decided to drag my writing partner into it ;)  
Enjoy!  
(We own nothing)**

Jane Rizzoli had a past she never liked talking about. She was in the war in Afghanistan for four years almost straight. Killed more people that she ever wanted to. And lost more men and friends to tear even the most unemotional man down. Wounded during battle, she and Jake were sent home.

Jake was her dog that saved her life multiple times during that time. He stayed by her side then and now. For a year and a half Jane had been traveling the country on foot, starting from Boston. She left her family but kept in touch.

Week to week and month to month, she would job hop and hotel hop. Making just enough to pay for food and shelter for both her and her partner.

War had done some things to Jane's personality and it would take a miracle to get her back to the woman she used to be.

"This... may be a pretty promising place, Jake. I know you're tired of walking so at least maybe they'll let us sleep in the stables tonight. C'mon." Jane patted her leg for him to follow. Making her way to one of the men working in the back of a pick up she offered a smile. "Hi, I was wondering if I may speak with the owner."

The man, attractive and in his early 30s, glanced over at the brunette, titling his cowboy hat back so he could get a better look at her and her dog. "Sure. Just give me a moment to get these off the truck." He said pointing down to a couple of bales of hay. He picked one up right after the other and tossed them over the side, where another man grabbed them to carry into a barn. Then he jumped down out of the truck and gave Jane a charming smile. "Nice dog you have here. Is he approachable?" Jane was an attractive woman and Brock wanted to stall so he could chat with her.

"Thank you and yes he is. We were in the army together so don't do anything that he would find as a threat to me or him. You will draw back stubs." Jane smiled and patted the german shepherds head to let him know it was okay. "I was actually looking for a place to stay for the night but do you think there may be a job opening, doing whatever?"

"In the army together? It's nice to meet some of our country's heroes." He smiled and leaned over to pet Jake's head before extending his hand for Jane to shake. "I'm Brock Harper. One of the ranch hands here. And I'm sure Mr. Isles would be glad to give ya a place to stay for the night. He's also looking for a new ranch hand."

"I wouldn't call myself a hero..." She then reached out and shook Brock's hand. "I'm Jane Rizzoli, it's nice to meet you." Jane offered a small smile. "I could do the work of a ranch hand. The sooner I find a job the better."

"Alright. Let me go find him and bring him over here. I'll put in a good word for you." He smiled and headed off towards the house.

About five minutes or so later he came back with an obviously well-off man who gave Jane a polite smile. "Hi, Ms. Rizzoli. My name's Ryan Isles. I'm the owner here. So I hear you're looking for a job."

"Uh yes sir. I was hoping for a job and maybe a place to stay for a little bit. I was in the army for four years and before that I was a Boston Police officer for three, right out of school practically. I love to work, especially when it's outside. I'm very dependable and no offense to the men around here but I could probably work circles around them." She gave a chuckle. "I just need something temporary."

Ryan laughed and glanced around at a few of the men who were working. "I'll tell you what. I'll give you a chance and see if you can do just that. I think everybody deserves a chance, especially one of our vets." He smiled. "I actually have a guest house the boys share, but if you'd be more comfortable with a more private area, I have a guest room in the house. It used to be my daughter's room."

"Well, if I may bring my partner into the house with me I'd be happy to stay in the guest room." She smiled softly. "And I appreciate the chance, Mr. Isles. I will prove to you that I deserve that chance. I don't ask for very much pay. I'm usually fine with just enough to buy Jake and me food and shelter for a while."

Ryan glanced down at Jake and smiled. "Sure. You can bring him in as long as he doesn't chew things up." He chuckled. "And we'll work something out. You'll get fair pay for the work you do. Boarding is already included. The boys get to stay in the guest house for nothing." He pointed over his shoulder at the main house. "You hungry? Dinner's about ready."

"That's great sir. Thank you for the opportunity." Jane looked up at the house and nodded. "I'm starving actually." Jake agreed with a whine. "And I think he is too." She chuckled.

"You're welcome." Ryan smiled and then chuckled at Jake's whine. "I actually have a couple of blood hounds so there's plenty of dog food. Come on." Ryan motioned for Jane to follow as he begun heading for the house. "Brock, go let the boys know dinner's about ready."

The younger man nodded and flashed Jane another smile before walking off.

Jane smiled back at Brock and mouthed a thank you to him. Once inside and Jake was chowing down, Jane introduced herself to the other two men and then sat down. There was an empty seat and after a few moments, a gorgeous woman walked in and filled it.

"Ah, Maura. You're a bit late, dear." Ryan said as he waved his fork loaded with food around.

The blonde sighed and grabbed the cloth napkin from her plate to lay out in her lap. "Long day." She noticed Jane then, across the table from her. "Well you're definitely a new face."

Jane smiled sweetly at the woman. "Yes ma'am, I'm the new ranch hand for a bit. Jane Rizzoli." The soldier could barely take her eyes off of Maura. Her beauty was found to be addicting.

Maura looked Jane over briefly before speaking again. "You look awfully scrawny to be a ranch hand. It takes a lot of physical work."

"Scrawny? Believe me, I'm anything but. The army had toned me up quite well." Jane was proud of the shape she was in,but not the scars she had.

"So how long did you serve for? And what brought you here?" Maura asked, taking hold of the bowl of mashed potatoes that was being passed around and placing some on her plate before passing it along.

"I served for four years. Afghanistan and Iraq mostly." She caught the potatoes when the came around to her and put a nice helping on her plate. "I was a cop.." She passed them to Brock to her left. "for the Boston PD for almost three years." She then took the bowl of green beans and put some right beside her mashed potatoes.

"I can't even begin to imagine what it was like over there. So, if you don't mind me asking, what happened with the BPD? Why aren't you a cop now?" Maura asked curiously, not even noticing that her father was trying to hand her another plate as she kept her eyes on Jane. Ryan bit back a chuckle. His daughter had always been an inquisitive one.

Jane smiled and placed a large steak on her plate. She wasn't going to eat it all, but she was going to sneak some scraps into a napkin for Jake. She hated the idea of him eating just dog food while she filled her belly on real food.

"I just left... It's a long story." She shrugged and started to cut the meat. "After I received my purple heart, Jake and I were released. I stayed home for a couple months but couldn't stand to be stagnate. So, on foot we started walking the country. I'd get odd jobs just to pay for food and shelter then I'd move on to somewhere else."

Maura could tell Jane didn't really want to talk about her time at the BPD at the moment, so she just nodded and listened on, a little fascinated by the snippets of Jane's story that she did get. "I'm sorry to hear you were injured. It sounds like you've seen a lot, though. What's been your favorite place so far?"

"North Carolina is actually very beautiful." She smiled and took a bite of her potatoes and swallowed. "Kentucky was my best time. I learned to ride horses there."

Maura smiled for the first time and Brock cut in. "Hey, if you want, we could always go riding. Mr. Isles keeps his older race horses around for ranch use."

Ryan nodded, clasping his hands together. "You're absolutely welcome to use Legend and Day of Thunder. They're ol good boys."

Jane looked over at Brock and smiled. "I'd like that. I found myself having a new respect for the animals." She then looked at Ryan, "So you raise and train racing horses?"

"That I do." Ryan smiled. "The boys help train them and take care of them. And Maura here," he tilted his head in his daughter's direction, "makes sure they stay healthy."

"So you're a veterinarian?" She asked Maura once her head turned back towards her.

Maura nodded. "I am. I take care of my father's horses, of course, but I also have a clinic in town."

"That's great. I respect people that show animals the same kindness as they would a human."

"Growing up around them really inspired me. I've always loved science and animals. And I'm not really much of a people person." She chuckled. "So being a veterinarian definitely suites me."

"You seem to be doing pretty well to me." Jane smiled over the table at Maura.

Throughout dinner, the soldier would glance up at the woman and offer light smiles. Something about the vet held Jane's attention.

Mason noticed this.

The jockey agent had slunk in late, taking a seat next to Maura and sharing a brief smile with her before loading his plate with the food available on the table, exchanging a few words with Ryan. He'd never seen Jane before so he paid close attention to her. And the attention she was giving Maura made him a little uncomfortable. Because the blonde was his, and he made sure to give her a kiss on the temple in an obvious display of possession before the soldier. "So, we haven't been introduced yet." He began, looking right at Jane. "I'm Mason Parker."

Jane sat a little straighter, if possible, hiding her disappointment that the blonde was taken. What did it matter anyway? It wasn't like someone like Maura would ever be interested in someone like Jane. "I'm Jane Rizzoli. The new ranch hand around here, for a bit. Nice to meet you, sir."

Mason nodded. "You as well. So you mentioned that you're here for just awhile. A bit of a drifter are you?" He asked.

"My partner and I have been traveling a lot. Job, home, and state hopping."

"Sounds kind of like you're running away from something, Ms. Rizzoli."

Maura subtly elbowed Mason then. "That was just rude." She said leaning into him and then turning her attention to Jane. "I'm sorry. "

Jane shrugged. "It's okay and no I'm not running away, Just get bored easily." She said looking back at Mason almost challengingly.

He smiled smugly and rested his arm on the back of Maura's chair. "The Isles are a good family. You can't blame me for being concerned for their well-being, right?"

"I mean them no harm." Jane stood up and smiled at everyone except Mason. "Thank you all for your hospitality. The meal was great." She smiled and tucked her chair back under the table and walked out. Whistling quickly, it didn't take long for Jake to come bounding out after her."

The boys soon cleared out, Ryan beginning to clear the table as he noticed his daughter about to strike out.

"What was that?" She asked, looking at Mason. "You didn't treat any of my father's other employees like they were suspects in a crime."

Mason shook his head. "I didn't like how she was looking at you. You are mine. Like you were a piece of meat just waiting to be devoured."

"Like I was a piece of meat waiting to be devoured? Really?" Maura asked incredulously. "She was being much more respectful than that. You're the one who was being insulting to a veteran of our armed services."

Mason shrugged. "How about we leave and head to your cabin and talk about this?" He said, daring her to refuse.

"Fine." Maura sighed and stood from the table. "I just need a moment with my father and then we can go."

"I'll wait for you there." Mason said and started towards the cabin across the ranch.

Maura found her father in the kitchen and leaned against the counter near him. He was a good man who wasn't always a fan of Mason, and he certainly wasn't a fan of any of his employees being insulted. "I'm sorry about Mason's behavior. He means well he just doesn't always go about expressing that well."

"He doesn't have many more chances with me, Maura." He turned around and shook his head. "You know I love you and I want you taken care of when I'm gone." Ryan said as he walked up to his daughter. "Does he treat you well when no one is around?"

"I know he can come off as the biggest jerk sometimes, and we... have our disagreements, but he's good to me, Dad." Maura tried assuring him.

"If he disrespects you or anyone else in my presence, he's gone. I've had it up to here with him." Ryan held a firm hand to his head, showing how tired of Mason's shit he was.

xXx

Jane was kneeling down ontop of a grassy hill with Jake by her side and feeding him the stake she had snuck out.

"You didn't have to sneak that out, you know?" Brock asked from behind Jane. "Ryan wouldn't have cared if you'd given Jake a little something."

The brunette looked over her shoulder and smiled. "I just didn't want him to think that I didn't like it. I just feel bad when I'm eating like a king and he's stuck with dog food. He def deserves more that even this."

"Oh yeah?" Brock asked, moving to take a seat on the other side of Jake. "What makes Jake so worthy?"

"Jake has saved my life a few times. He's more than worthy." She smiled and pet the dogs head.

"Well he sounds like an amazing guy then that deserves a seat at the table." Brock smiled and patted his head.

Jane smiled and nodded. However, that smile was wiped away when she noticed Mason storming up to the cabin. "What's up with that guy?"

Brock sighed and watched Mason with a frown. "The guy seemed great in the beginning. He's a jockey agent and worked pretty closely with Ryan for a couple of years while Maura was off at school. He introduced the guy to his daughter thinking they'd make a good match and things were good at first, but he's become increasingly possessive of her. Ryan can barely stand the guy anymore."

"I could tell." Jane said then saw Maura walking out of the house to go to the cabin as well.

"Yeah, Maura deserves better," Brock said.

xXx

The blonde walked into the cabin to find Mason in the kitchen pouring a glass of wine. "So let's talk."

"Alright, you're the one that blew up, so go for it, Maura." Mason said sitting in his favorite chair, beer in one hand and the tv control in the other. Flipping channels.

"You're the one who was being a complete ass at dinner and wanted to wait until we were alone to talk so talk." Maura said, sitting next to Mason and snatching the remote away.

"That wasn't being an ass, Maura." He glared at her the moment she snatched the remote away. Quickly he grabbed her wrist and took it back forcefully. "She needs to keep her eyes off of you. I don't like her."

Maura winced and pulled her wrist away as quickly as she could. "You don't even know her." She argued, not quite sure why she'd taken an immediate interest in the woman and defending her. "I'm not your property, I'm your girlfriend."

"A woman soldier? Really? She probably shot herself in the foot so she could take the easy way out." He laughed and turned it onto Spike. "Why are you defending her anyway? You don't even know her."

"Since women just recently got the right to participate in combat overseas, she more than likely got hurt during a roadside bombing or saving some of her male comrades' asses." Maura bit back with attitude. "I'm defending her because you're just being an ass."

"Call me an ass one more time, Maura. I dare you." He said with all seriousness.

"And what are you going to do if I do? Hmm?" Maura asked, tilting her head slightly with a bit of attitude.

Mason had gotten a little grabby during arguments but had never hit her or anything that serious.

He smirked, challenging. "Say it and find out."

"You can go to hell." Maura scowled. "I'm going to bed." And with that she got up and started heading for the bedroom.

"I'll see you there, bitch."

Maura slammed the bedroom door and then leaned back against it, cupping her face in her hands and wanting nothing more than to scream. The man in her living room could be the most loving and the most ruthless all in one day. She rubbed her face, frustrated, and then moved to get ready for bed.

xXx

The next morning Jane woke up at six am and got ready for the day. Wearing her baggy jeans and tight white tank top, she walked out to the barn and started to familiarize herself with the horses. There was an older dapple mare in the back of one of the stalls. Quietly, the soldier opened the door and walked in. Gaining her trust she was able to move her hand down her nose and cheek. "What a pretty girl. What's your name, huh?"

"Beauty and the Brains." A female voice came from behind Jane. "But we like to just call her Beauty." Maura stepped into the stall and stopped a couple of feet away from the soldier. "She doesn't usually take to someone so quickly. You must have a special touch, Jane."

Jane looked over her shoulder and smiled sweetly. "I show them that I'm no better than they are, that's all." Looking into those gorgeous hazel eyes, Jane's heart beat a little faster.

Maura smiled and moved to stand next to Jane, running a hand down Beauty's muzzle. "I like your attitude. Horses are gorgeous, intelligent creatures that should be treated with respect. Unfortunately, that's not always the case in my father's business."

"Oh yeah?" She asked with a furrowed brow. "How so?"

"I didn't mean my father's personal business." Maura corrected. "I meant horse racing in general. There are owners who use steroids to enhance their horses' performance, who abuse their steeds, and those who drug other owner's horses to prevent them from winning. It can get nasty."

"Wow. That's really sad. I didn't know all that went on in this profession." She moved her hands down the horses back. "I think Beauty needs some TLC, wuddayasay?" Jane asked Maura, with a kind smile on her face that reached her eyes.

"I think we could team together to give her some." Maura smiled and grabbed a nearby brush, starting with Beauty's mane and slowly brushing her down on her side before handing Jane the brush, noticing the scar on the back of her hands. "So how long do you think you'll be staying with us?"

"I'm not sure actually... a few weeks maybe. Unless your boyfriend runs me outta here sooner." She chuckled as she started to glide the brush over the horses pelt.

Maura sighed and began to rub Beauty's neck, the horse nudging her affectionately. "I really am sorry about his behavior. Mason had no right to talk to you like that."

Jane shrugged it off. "It's okay, I've heard worse. Believe me." Watching Maura with the horse she smirked. "Seems Beauty is fond of you. Of course that's not hard to believe."

Maura smiled and glanced away, her cheeks turning a little pink. "Well, we've had her since I was a little girl so it'd be sad if she wasn't fond of me." Her hazel eyes fell back on Jane then. "So, what sort of things do people say to you?"

"Sweetie... you don't wanna know. A beautiful woman like yourself shouldn't hear the things I've heard or see the things I've seen." She sighed softly and handed the brush back to Maura. When the blonde took it, Jane's eyes zeroed in on the bruise on her wrist. "What happened there?"

"You're a beautiful woman, too, Jane. Whatever these people have said to you... I can already tell you didn't deserve to hear." When the soldier asked about her bruise, Maura immediately pulled her hand away, shrugging. "It's hard to tell where some of these bruises come from. I work around farm animals all day. They can get a little rough."

Jane felt a little ease at Maura's sweet words. "Thank you." Studying the bruise for the seconds she was allowed to see it. "Yeah, people can get a little rough to, Dr. Isles. The bruise you have didn't come from an object or an animal... I can see the hand print on your wrist."

Ashamed and uncomfortable with the sudden turn of discussion, Maura began to pull away. "I better get going. I need to get into town and open the clinic. It was nice talking to you, Jane." She grabbed her medical bag and began to head for the exit.

Jane jogged out after her. "Dr. Isles, wait!" She called out and ran around in front of her. "I'm sorry if I crossed the line." She sighed. "I didn't mean to push you about it, looking out for women's well beings is something I do. But if you need anything I'm here." Jane offered the woman a kind smile.

"That's kind of you. Really. But I'm fine." Maura forced a small smile. "Maybe we could talk some more when I'm done for the day. If you'd like."

"I would like that." Jane smiled. "I'll be around."

Maura smiled again, a genuine one this time, and nodded before walking past Jane. Brock walked up to the former soldier as she watched her go. "She always checks up on the horses before she leaves for the day. So," he patted Jane's shoulder, "ready to get going for the day?"

Jane smiled and watched Maura leave as Brock spoke to her. "Yeah, I'm ready." She looked up at him. "What do we have to start us off?" She asked. Jake stood up and sat by Jane's feet, ready to work too.

"Well I've been working with a youngin, training him. I could teach you what you need to know and then we could go from there." He offered.

"Teach away, sir. I'm an opened and unfinished book." Jane chuckled.

Brock laughed and started walking toward the end of the barn, Jane following. "I like that analogy. Now let me introduce you to Demon. He's a hellion but he's also worth the trouble."

Brock spent the rest of the day showing Jane the ropes, and when Maura rolled back up in her Prius, he pointed her out to the soldier. "I have a feeling she's the one you'd really like to chat with. And now that we're done for the day, you can go ahead and do so."

Jane chuckled. "And what makes you say that?" Her eyes were drawn to the blonde inside the car.

"I may be no rocket scientist, but I certainly understand human and horse nature. And your eyes barely left her at dinner or when she was walking away from you this morning." He grinned.

Jane smirked and glanced up at him. "Well, it's difficult to allow one's eye to stray from gorgeous artwork." Finally looking back at Demon she cleared her throat. "Do you need help putting him back up?"

"Nah I'm good. I can take care of him. Go ahead and catch her before one of the other boys do. You're not the only one with a little thing for Doc Isles." He chuckled.

Jane smirked and patted her leg for Jake to come. "Catch ya later, Brock." She walked up to the Prius and opened the door for Maura, the moment Jane saw her struggling with the bags in her hands. "Hey you." She smirked, not knowing Mason was watching from afar.

Maura smiled up at Jane, three brown bags of groceries in her arms. "Thank you. I had to grab a few things for dinner tonight." The veterinarian stepped out of the car and started heading for the house, grateful for Jane's eagerness to help as the soldier grabbed a bag from her. "So how'd your first day go?"

"You're welcome." Jane smiled and followed Maura into the house. "Great actually. Um.. if you get the time would you like to go for a ride? I'd like to ride a horse I won't get bucked off of." She laughed, putting the bag down, exposing the dirt on her tank.

"I'd love to go for a ride, actually. I haven't been in awhile. How about after dinner?" She asked, looking from the bags she was emptying out up to Jane. Noticing the mud on her shirt, she walked over to the brunette and brushed a bit of the lose dirt off from the abdomen area. "You didn't get hurt today, did you?"

Maura smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great." She slowly backed away to finish putting up the groceries so they could get started on dinner. "I imagine you were forced to pick up decent cooking skills in the army."

"Actually I have my mother to thank for that. Well that and I'm Italian." Jane chuckled and helped Maura get everything ready.

Maura laughed as she looked from the pan she was stirring a few items in to Jane. "Italians do have quite the reputation for large family meals. So do you talk to your mother often while you're on the road?"

"Not as often as I should. I talk to my brother, Frankie, the most though. Out of all of them anyway."

"Is he older or younger than you are? What does he and the rest of your family think of you bouncing from job to job, state to state?" She asked curiously.

"He's younger but we also have a younger brother, Tommy." She sighed with a shrug. "They don't like it, at all." Jane looked down to the pot she was stirring and adding veggies.

"So, and feel free to tell me I'm being too nosey at any time, did you work at the Boston Police Department before or after your term of service?"

"You're fine and I served three years of police duty before going into the Army."

"What made you decide you wanted to go into the army?" Maura asked as she subtly glanced over at Jane.

"I needed an out. Bad experience.." She sighed. "Though the Army wasn't much better. Ever see GI Jane? Loosely based on my life. Except I didn't shave my head." Jane gave a crooked smile. "But enough about me. Tell me about yourself."

Maura laughed and shook her head. "I've never seen it, but I've seen enough commercials that I think I have a pretty good idea of what you're talking about." She smiled, curious about that experience that drove Jane away from the police department but also knowing when to give space. "My turn, hmm? Well, I've been out of veterinarian school for a couple of years now. I started off taking care of my father's horses and then after about six months opened my own clinic. I've always been kind of awkward, a real science geek," she shrugged one shoulder and smiled, "so I spent way more time with the animals around here and doing frog dissections and the like than socializing with peers. And now you know how weird I am." She laughed again.

Jane had stopped what she was doing and listened intently to Maura. "I don't think you're weird. Different? Yeah, but not weird."Glancing down at the pot she smiled lightly. "Honestly, I haven't had a meaningful conversation in years except with Jake, until I met you." She paused. "You haven't met him yet, have you? Jake."

"Well thank you." Maura smiled and watched Jane for a moment. "How long have you been on the road? And no." She shook her head. "I haven't met Jake yet."

"About a year and a half now." Jane then smiled. "Jake has been my partner for four years. War Dog. After dinner I'll introduce you."

"I can't wait to meet him." Maura smiled and turned her attention back to her pan's contents. She appeared behind Jane a few minutes later, her voice near the soldier's ear. "I'm just going to reach around you real quick and grab something." Reaching around the brunette, she grabbed some seasoning out of the cabinet above and to the left of her head.

"Good thing you warned me. The smell of strawberries would have caused my PTSD to flare up. Who know what I could have done to ya." She joked with a soft chuckle, but gladly took in the sweet scent of the woman.

"I'm sorry." Maura shook her head and swallowed hard. "I didn't even think about that possibility. Do you have very many flashbacks? What tends to trigger them?"

"For one, I was joking but yeah.. I do have flashbacks. They suck, by the way." She sighed. "Loud noises and being snuck up on..."

"Oh. Now would probably be a good time for me to mention that I don't always pick up on sarcasm." Maura admitted bashfully. "And I'll do my best to keep both of those factors in mind. I want you to be as comfortable here as possible."

"You, Brock and your father have made it very comfortable. I really appreciate it."

"Brock's a good guy and Dad always sees the good in people. But if someone were to ever screw up big time, he wouldn't take his crap. He's not a complete pushover." She smiled. "And it's nice to have another female to chat with. Especially one with as interesting a story as you have."

"Interesting is an understatement." She chuckled. "I'll tell you more over time." She looked over at Maura and smiled. "Before I leave... I'm going to join you in doing something you've always wanted o do, but never have." Going back to the pot and adding some seasoning, Jane spoke again. "Alright, so... name it."

"Something I've always wanted to do but never have? How about I name off a list and you choose from that?" She smiled. "That way, maybe we could do something you've never done before, too."

"I like that idea." Jane smiled for what felt like the millionth time that day. She hadn't smiled this month since that tragic day on the streets of Boston.

"Okay. I've always wanted to go skydiving, take a ride on a crotch rocket, sing karaoke in a bar, go skinny dipping," Maura said that one not even thinking about the possibility of Jane being attracted to her, "and swim with sharks."

"Hm okay in order I'd go for crotch rocket, swim with sharks, karaoke, skinny dipping, then sky diving." Jane smirked. "I'm pretty sure I can get four out of those five things done. I don't like heights. So, that's not one of them." The soldier laughed.

Maura laughed, too; the sound of Jane's laugh infectious. "Okay, so we'll avoid sky diving at all costs and go for one or more of the others." She smiled. "You're not going to want to leave for the next job by the time I get through with you."

"Oh yeah? So you think all that fun and danger is going to keep me around huh?"

Maura grinned and finished up her portion of dinner. How could it not?"

**Goodness that was along first chapter lol Well what do you think so far? Review are sweet sweet candy!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! You guys are awesome! I woke up the morning after I posted this and found over 30 emails for alerts on this story. Alerts and Review were flying in all day long. Made us extremely happy. We're so happy you all like this fic and it's only gonna get better. Stay tuned and don't forget about those reviews. They give us inspiration to continue. :D**

A few days had passed since their friendly dinner conversation and Maura and Jane were already becoming close. Of course Maura didn't know all of Jane's secrets, the darkness that had consumed portions of her life, and the vet didn't share details about her relationship with Mason. But, the blonde had quickly realized how much she enjoyed Jane's company and wanted her around.

Unfortunately they still hadn't gone on that horseback ride. Maura had had an animal emergency that night before dinner was even wrapped up and not come back until a late hour. And every night since then had been a stormy one. But she'd met Jake, who really liked the doctor, and spent plenty of time with Jane indoors, just conversing and playing bouts of chess.

It was now the weekend, and Maura planned to start working on that list with her new friend. "Hey, Jane. It's Friday night. We should go into town, get a few drinks and do that karaoke." She smirked.

"Karaoke huh?" Jane said leaning back against the bottom of the couch as she petted the head that rested in her lap. "We could do that. May have to get a couple drinks in me before I get the nerve to put my raspy voice on for everyone to hear and laugh at." She laughed.

"Oh it's okay. I'll need a few drinks, too. And I love how deep and raspy your voice is. It'd be great for jazz or the blues." She smiled and offered Jane a hand to help her get up.

"Daww you like my voice?" She asked, standing up with her help. In turn that made them closer than normal. "I can be raspier if you want." Jane said in almost a sensual tone of voice then grinned, showing she wasn't entirely serious.

Even if Jane wasn't being completely serious, her voice and tease was having an effect on Maura. Maybe not one that was physically visible but was certainly impacting her in a physical way. "You go much raspier at the bar and you most certainly won't be leaving alone."

"Oh? I'm pretty sure I'll be getting you to come home with me, beautiful." Jane winked with a smirk.

Maura laughed and shoved Jane toward the door. "Come on, Ms. Casanova, let's get going so I can hear that deep, rich voice of yours blurting out the words to some song like 'Don't Stop Believing.'"

"Oh and here I was thinking we would do a duet to 'Call Me Maybe'." Jane laughed and walked out with Maura and got into her Prius, not giving a word to anyone on where they were going.

About 15 minutes later they were at a decent bar with a good sized crowd, the patrons already gathered around the karaoke machine to listen to their friends drunkenly blurt out the words to their favorite songs. "Alright, drinks first and then embarrassing ourselves." Maura smiled and grabbed Jane's hand to pull her toward the bar.

Jane walked to the bar with her. "Sounds like a solid plan to me." She bought the first round of drinks. "Follow up with a couple shots the pick each others songs?"

"Sounds like a solid plan to me." She repeated with a dimpled grin and nod before taking a drink. "I'm excited about picking out your song. I'll give you a good one."

Standing up at the writing pad in front of the karaoke operator she wrote Maura's name down and the song she chose for her. Covering it up with her finger she looked away. "Alright, sign me up. I won't look."

"I'm watching you, Jane Rizzoli. I'll know if you do look." She smiled and wrote down Jane's name along with a song, watching the brunette out of the corner of her eye to ensure she didn't glance. And then she shooed the former soldier away from the list so they could take a seat in front of the little stage.

Jane grinned and sat beside her with a beer in her hand and waited for Maura's turn to come up. The moment it did, Jane started chuckling under her breath. Maura grabbed onto the mic and the music started up. Buttons by Pussycat Dolls.

The blonde had enough alcohol in her to give her a bit more liquid courage, but she was already a pretty confident person who didn't get embarrassed easily. She'd just never had anyone to do karaoke with before until Jane.

However, when the song came on it took her a bit to get comfortable since it wasn't her music scene. But by the time the chorus came around for a second time, she'd found her flow and was definitely performing more for the crowd than just singing. And her focus was on Jane.

"I'm telling you to loosen up my buttons, babe" The blonde was right in front of her, tugging on her button up blouse.

"But you keep frontin'" She continued, taking a seat in the brunette's lap.

"Sayin' what you goin' do to me" She lifted a hand to her ear, as if Jane was whispering in it.

"But I ain't seen nuttin'" She shook her head as she stood and headed back to the stage.

Jane was speechless and didn't move for a moment. She was pretty much in shock with the performance. However it didn't take long for the soldier to slide her hand up Maura's front and undo the top button on the singers shirt. Egging her on to sing and act more.

Maura grinned and kept her eyes on Jane even when she was back up on stage, performing for the entire crowd but singing only to the soldier.

"I wonder if I'm just too much for you" Maura sang, running a teasing hand down her torso.

"Wonder if my kiss don't make you just" She blew one to the soldier.

"Wonder what I got next for you" She grinned.

"What you wanna do?" She shrugged playfully.

Jane was thinking very sinful thoughts as she watched Maura. She wanted to loosen up her buttons. She wanted to kiss her and wonder what she had next. She wanted to show the woman exactly what she wanted to do to her.

Maura finished up the song to loud applause and took a little bow before reclaiming her seat next to Jane, whispering in the soldier's ear. "Your turn."  
Bruno Mars' "Locked out of Heaven" was waiting on her.

"I don't know if I'll even compare to you after that one." Jane chuckled then strode up to the stage. The moment her hand hit the mic a song that she knew very well came on. With a grin she looked right at Maura. With her rustic, deep and sensual singing voice she started up.

The first few lines, the soldier's eyes were set on Maura's but when the chorus came on, Jane took the mic and walked off the stage.

"Cause your sex takes me to paradise. Yeah your sex takes me to paradise. And it shows, yeah, yeah, yeah" Taking Maura's hand, she pulled Maura up and slowly started walking around the vet.

"Cause you make feel like, I've been locked out of heaven" Jane's hand moved across Maura's back, moving in front of her again.

"For too long, for too long" Forehead to forehead Jane smirked.

Maura didn't even think to breath for a few moments, the blonde getting lost in Jane's dark eyes before smiling. Her husky, sensual voice definitely had the veterinarian entranced.

Jane didn't hesitate to go down on her knees and look up at the doctor. "You bring me to my knees. You make me testify. You can make a sinner change his ways. Open up your gates cause I can't wait to see the light. And right there is where I wanna stay" Standing up she started moving around the audience, entertaining all.

By the time Jane got back to Maura she sang- "Oh oh oh oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Can't I just stay here? Spend the rest of my days here"

When the song ended, the brunette's lips moved inches away from Maura's for a moment then pulled away to place the mic back in the holder before taking her seat again.

Maura was definitely going to need more alcohol. Because she had opened the gates to something that could definitely end badly for both of them for varying reasons. She wanted Jane to kiss her. She was disappointed when the brunette pulled away. As soon as they were seated together again, she motioned for the waitress to bring her another Long Island. "You definitely have an amazing voice."

Jane motioned for another beer then looked over at Maura with a smirk. "Me? If only you could hear yours. I don't think angels could even sing that heavenly. Definetly a good song choice for you too." She grinned, resting her arm on the back of Maura's chair.

"Angels would be tossed out of heaven for singing something like that." Maura chuckled. "If they even exist to begin with." She shrugged and leaned into Jane. "The night's still young. We should pick out another song for each other."

"They do exist because I happen to be look'n at one right now. " Jane smiled, staring into hazel orbs. "We could do another song or two, but I'm going to need some more alcohol in my system. I'm starting to sober up. How about another round of shots?" She then grinned. "Here's something I've always wanted to try but never have..." When the waitress came back up Jane requested two shots with a very odd name. _Sex with an Alligator._

Maura blushed at Jane's words and looked away, chuckling lightly when the soldier said she needed more liquid courage. "Order away." She glanced up at the brunette and smiled widely at the name of the drink. "Sex with an alligator? You must like it rough."

"Mm honey you have no idea." Jane grinned. "I've heard these shots are absolutely amazing and make you want to do things you wouldn't normally have the courage to do. I guess that's where the name comes in." She chuckled. Taking a sip of her beer, Jane then reached for the shot glasses when Ruby brought them back over. "One, two, three, shoot!" The soldier downed hers quickly then held her finger up for one more round. "Mm good right?"

Maura smirked and leaned in a bit closer, talking low enough so that only Jane could hear. "Is there something you want to do right now that you need courage for?" She practically purred. She picked up her shot glass and tossed the liquid back, licking her lips afterwards. "Mmm, that is good."

Jane bit her lip back and nodded. "Yeah." She whispered. "Courage and the fact that I need to forget my morals for a night." She smiled. "Alright, go pick a song you wanna sing."

"Okay. I'll get us a couple more shots, too. Help you forget those morals." Maura winked and stood, motioning to the waitress for two more shots of Sex with an Alligator. Then she stood at the list of song choices, reading through them before making her selection and rejoining Jane.

When Jane went to put her name down she chuckled, seeing that Maura skipped a line to make the soldier sing first. Filling in the blank, she sat back down with the woman then took the new shot glass holding it up for a toast. "To us rocking the socks off this place."

Maura smirked and clinked glasses with Jane before downing her shot. "We've done pretty well so far. I can't wait to hear you sing the next one."

Hearing her name, Jane stood up, finished off her beer and walked onto the stage. The music started and the soldier started belting out the lyrics.

"Uh! Whooah, yeah!  
uh, uh!

You got me down  
on the floor  
So what'd you bring me  
down here for?

You got me down  
on the floor, uh! "

Looking directly at Maura she winked. The liquor hitting her hard now. "If I was a man  
I'd make my move."

Maura sat back to listen to the soldier, her forearms resting on the table behind her as she watched the brunette closely. Jane was gorgeous, and the longer she stayed up on that stage, the harder Maura found it to take her eyes off her. And when Jane looked right at her, with the line about making a move, the vet felt a shiver of excitement go down her spine. She looked right into the other woman's eyes with an alluring half smile.

Jane continued the song, and moved to sit on the edge of the stage. A few more lines and her finger motioned for Maura to 'come hither'. "You got me up on your swing. So when you gonna shake that thing?" The soldier pulled Maura to stand between her legs. Her free hand moved around and rested right below the doctor's right ass cheek.

The crowd was cheering them on, and it might've been in part to all the alcohol intake but Maura grinned when she felt Jane's hand and decided to go along with it. She turned around and gave a little shake of her ass just for the soldier, glancing over her shoulder at her with a playful smirk.

"If I was a blade I'd shave you smooth." The singer's hand moved around to the front of Maura's jeans with a grin.

Standing up, Jane wrapped her arm around Maura from behind and finished off the song. "And if I was from Paris. If I was from Paris, I would say Oooh la la la la la lala..."

Maura leaned back into Jane and smiled softly as she glanced down at the arm wrapped around her. The former soldier was warm, and though she'd only known her for about a week, made Maura feel safe. The veterinarian brushed the tips of her fingers over the back of Jane's hand, over her scar.

Normally Jane would've pulled her hand away from Maura's touch on her scar, but for some reason it was allowed. As the cheering began, the brunette grinned and handed the mic to Maura.

Maura smirked and took it, guiding Jane back to their table and playfully shoving her so she fell back into the chair as the music began to play.  
"Kiss me out of the bearded barley. Nightly, beside the green, green grass. Swing, swing, swing the spinning step." Maura swayed her hips as she sang. "You wear those shoes and I will wear that dress."  
"Oh kiss me beneath the milky twilight." She continued, looking right at Jane and glancing at her lips. "Lead me out on the moonlit floor," she pulled Jane back up and remained close, "lift your open hand. Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance." She swayed side to side. "Silver moon's sparkling, so kiss me." She sang so close that her breath was on Jane's lips.

This song... was perfect. All night long Jane had wanted to kiss this beauty in front of her and here was confirmation that Maura wanted it to. Wetting her lips, Jane's eyes moved to Maura's as she sang. Her heart was beating so quickly she thought it may pound right out of her chest.

Maura spent the rest of the song focusing on Jane, not bothering to really move around or look at anybody else. By the last line, the blonde had lowered the mic and leaned into Jane, whispering the last few words against her ear. "So kiss me, so kiss me, so kiss me."

The former soldier pulled back just enough, looking into hazel eyes then leaned in, pressing her lips against a soft pair and kissing the woman softly. At first. Then it became a bit more heated, the alcohol taking over.

Maura set her hands on Jane's waist and pulled her closer, letting the soldier deepen the kiss as she responded eagerly, ignoring all the whistling and applauding around them. Her arms slipped around the brunette's neck as she pulled Jane flush against her, only wanting her closer.

After a moment, Jane pulled back, resting her forehead against Maura's with a smile planted on her face. "Wow..." She whispered and walked backwards towards the chair and pulled Maura down innocently on her lap, as the next performer began. "Mmm, you taste like sex...with a gator." The brunette chuckled.

Maura looked down at Jane and tilted her head slightly, lips parted to say something before she just laughed instead. "Someone's a little dirty minded tonight." She grinned and leaned in, her lips brushing against Jane's ear as she spoke. "I like it." Then she pulled back and winked before turning her attention to the stage.

"Mm and I like you." It was Jane's turn to whisper in Maura's ear.

Maura turned her head to press a soft kiss to Jane's temple, nuzzling her for a moment before speaking quietly. "How about you and I head out of here? Maybe go for a walk in the nearby woods?"

Jane smiled and stood up, with Maura in her arms bridal style. "I think we should." She carried her out of the building and set her down right outside the doors. Offering her hand to the woman she motioned with her head. "C'mon."

Maura squealed a bit when Jane lifted her, surprised by her strength. But she wrapped an arm around the brunette's neck and once on her feet again, took Jane's hand, lacing their fingers as she gently tugged the soldier in the direction of the woods. "There's a few trails in there so we shouldn't get too lost. That is, unless you want to." She grinned.

"I wouldn't mind getting lost with you." She smirked and walked with the woman to the edge of the woods. "You don't have anything you need to do in the morning do ya? Because if not, I'd like to spend as much time with you as possible."

"I don't. I wouldn't have drunk so much otherwise." Maura smiled and started to lead Jane toward a large lake in the woods. "I'd like to spend more time with you, too."  
Once they got to the lake, Maura took a seat on a large log overlooking the water and patted the spot next to her.

"Texas is so beautiful." She whispered as she sat next to Maura. Looking over at the blonde, Jane smirked. Taking her hand she turned it over and ran her finger tips over the fading bruise.

"It is. I love it here." Maura leaned back a bit, having been so focused on looking out over the lake, and glanced down as she felt Jane's fingertips on her skin. "It really wasn't as bad as it looked."

"It shouldn't have happened, Maura." She shook her head. "Why did he touch you like this?"

"He didn't mean to be so rough." Maura looked away, staring at the ground as she spoke. "We were arguing and he was just trying to get something back."

"I know I don't really have a right to but... If I ever see another bruise on you and I know it's from him it won't be such a happy day for Mason." Jane was strongly again abuse on women. Not just because she was a female but because she knew how it felt to go through abuse.

Maura looked over at Jane and tilted her head with a soft smile. "I kind of like how protective you are." She reached over and took one of Jane's hands in her own, pulling it into her lap and running a finger over the thick scar in the middle. "How did you get these?"

The smile Jane had disappeared the moment Maura asked about her scar. Looking down she sighed. "I... those would be the reason I left BPD." Jane flipped her hand over, showing Maura that the scar was on her palm too. "Scalpels."

The look on Maura's face was soft, caring, but not one of pity. Even though she could tell it was something horrible that had occurred. "What happened?" She asked quietly, running her fingers over the scar in Jane's palm.

"My partner and I had split up. I went into a warehouse where one perp went in and he took off after the other. I was caught off guard and knocked out. I ended up somewhere else in the place. When I woke up, he was on top of me and gave the most evil chuckle I've ever heard." Jane swallowed hard. "Two scalpels went into both of my hands, pinning me there. Another cut my throat... He talked of what he was going to do to me... in terrifying detail." Clenching a fist she shook her head. "Just as his hand went down to my pants Aaron barged in and shot him twice."

Maura felt her heart pounding with fear during Jane's story, a sigh of relief escaping her lips when she realized the bastard hadn't touched the soldier in THAT way. But still, she saw how the experience could change a person. "I see how you could want to leave the BPD." Maura brought Jane's hand up to her lips, first kissing her palm and then flipping her hand to kiss the back of it.

Jane sat in silence for a moment before speaking. "You are the first person I've let even touch my hands since then." She shook her head. Jane didn't understand how she didn't pull away at all, she did with her own mother, why not Maura?

"I don't know why." Maura shook her head and shrugged. "But it means a lot to me to know that. And to know that you felt comfortable enough to share that story with me." She leaned in and kissed Jane softly. "I care about you a great deal, Jane."

The soldier kissed Maura back and smiled sweetly. "I care about you too, Maur." Jane paused. "You don't mind me calling you that do you?"

Maura smiled. "Not at all."

**Alright how do you think their first outing went? ;)  
Reviews are awesome!**


	3. Chapter 3

Mason had brought out a couple horses for him and Maura to ride. She had once mentioned that she hadn't been in a while but of course that was way before Jane came to town. He wasn't happy with the fact that the ex-soldier kept his girlfriend out all night and brought her back in the wee hours of the morning three days ago. Finally making time for Maura he brought the blonde out and mounted his horse. "C'mon."

It was then that there was a loud roar of an engine. Rizzoli drove up on a bright red and black motorcycle. Crotch Rocket. Parking it she got off and held up a spare helmet for Maura with a wide grin on her face.

Maura smirked as she looked over at Jane and patted her horse's neck affectionately, then glancing up at Mason. "We'll go riding when I get home, okay? Jane rented the bike and I'm sure only has a little bit of time with it." She handed the reigns to a reluctant Mason and took the helmet from Jane.

Jane, in her black tank top and faded jeans, helped Maura put her helmet on and smirked. "Ready to cross off another item on your bucket list?" Giving the doctor a hand in getting on the bike, she then took off once Maura was ready.

Maura wrapped her arms around Jane's middle and rested her chin on the former soldier's shoulder, having to yell over the roar of the engine as they rode. "Two items knocked off my bucket list in less than a week. I owe you big time!" The blonde held onto Jane tight.

"Just two!?" She shouted back over her shoulder. "You mean kissing a girl wasn't on there?!" Jane then laughed.

"It wasn't!" Maura yelled. "But now that I've done it, it's definitely on my list of unforgettable moments!" She smirked, finally feeling comfortable enough to lean back a bit and glance around. It was a different view of the countryside she'd seen hundreds of times and Maura loved every second of it.

Jane laughed and nodded. "Mine too!" She called back out then focused on the road. She loved motorcycles. Had ever since she learned to ride in the army.

Maura was just enjoying herself, watching the scenery whirl by when she noticed what looked like the tip of wings sticking out from under Jane's tank top. She freed up one hand to trace a portion of the tattoo with her fingers. "I didn't know you had a tattoo! What is it?!"

Jane laughed. "Lift up my shirt and find out!"

Maura laughed, too. "No! Not right now! Not while you're driving! I'll look at it when you're parked and we're away from others!"

She chuckled and kept driving until they reached a nice spot by a cliff side beside the road. Pulling over she helped Maura off then got off herself. Standing in front of her she smirked. "Alright no one is around." Lifting the back of her shirt, Jane pulled it over her head but still holding the tank over her black bra clad breasts. Turning around she showed her a large eagle. Wingspan stretching from one shoulder to the other in high detail in a black and white image.

Maura tried to be respectful, but she couldn't control her wandering eyes, catching only a brief glimpse of Jane's bra clad breasts and amazing abs. When the soldier turned her back to her, Maura stepped in closer to study the tattoo and run her fingers over it. "Wow. The detail is amazing. It's a beautiful tattoo." She probably lingered more than she should but, Maura traced bits of Jane's tattoo slowly, her hand running down the brunette's spine as she stepped back again. "Did it hurt?"

Jane pulled her shirt back down. "Thank you." She turned around and smirked. "Nah not really. I actually ended up falling asleep after a while." Moving closer to her, Jane spoke again. "You don't have any?"

Maura chuckled. "I don't. And if I ever did get one, I have a feeling I wouldn't be falling asleep during it. Not with a needle puncturing my skin by about a millimeter and depositing insoluble ink 50 to 3,000 times per minute." She said matter of factly.

The soldier smiled. "I kinda love your google talk." Jane laughed softly. "Well if you ever wanna get one, just let me know. I've been itching to get another."

Maura blushed slightly. "It's a habit. I love learning new facts." She leaned against the bike and was silent for a moment as she considered the idea of a tattoo. "You know, when I was 16 I did consider giving into my rebellious streak and getting one."

"Wanna revisit that streak?" She waggled her brows.

A grin slowly spread across Maura's face. "You are a horrible influence. Not that that's really a bad thing in this case. You're helping me become more adventurous." She smiled warmly. "Let's do it. Let's go get tattoos."

"Yeah?" Jane asked with a grin. I actually passed on on the way to rent this bike. "We'll stop there and check it out. I want to make sure your first is the best quality."

"My first?" Maura asked with a cocked brow. "You sound so sure that I'll end up getting more than one." She chuckled and pushed herself off the bike. "Alright. Let's go check this place out. Take a good look at the work they offer."

"Well once you get tatted you kinda get addicted."

Jane drove them to a place called 8 Wonders and helped Maura off the bike and walked inside with her.

One of the artists came into the viewing area to greet them. "Hi there, ladies. My name's Mike. Do you know what you'd like to have done today?" He pointed to some books on a table. "You can pick up a few ideas there, too."

"I actually know what I want but Maura here is a tattoo virgin." Jane chuckled and walked over to the books with the doctor.

Maura laughed and Mike grinned, motioning for them to take a look through the pages of photos they had on the table. The blonde took a seat to do just that, having an idea of what she wanted already but wanting to see the quality of their work. "So, what are you getting?" She asked, glancing up at Jane.

"I actually have a print of Jake's paw in my wallet.. I'm going to get that on my wrist." She smiled and stooped down beside Maura to scan through the art. "How about you?"

Hmm... I have an idea of what I want." Maura looked over at Jane. "I think I'll just surprise you. I really like the dog print idea, though. It's clear Jake means a lot to you."

Jane smiled and nodded her head. "He's saved my life more than once. Jake means a great deal to me." She cleared her throat. "Would you like me to go first so you can see what it's like?"

Maura smiled, extremely grateful to Jake for giving her the chance to know Jane. She definitely wanted to know more about Jane's time in Afghanistan, but for now, she just nodded. "Yeah, you go first and I'll watch."

Once the artist got everything set up and the paw print stenciled onto her left wrist, Jane sat in the chair. When he started, her eyes went to Maura and smiled sweetly. "So, not gonna tell me what you're gonna get and where huh?"

Maura smiled back at her as she leaned against the ledge of the viewing window to watch, shaking her head. "Nope. Like I said, I'll just surprise you. You can see it later."

"Oh okay." Jane chuckled. "So you wanna go through this without me being around then?"

"What? A wuss? You?" She laughed and relaxed.

"How long have you two been together?" Mike asked, looking up from the tattoo.

Maura squinted her eyes and glared at Jane but then smiled to show she wasn't being serious. Her cheeks immediately flushed when Mike spoke, the blonde turning her attention to him. "Uh, umm, we're not." She shook her head, usually so well spoken. "We're just friends."

"Ah baby don't be like that." Jane couldn't hold her laughter as she turned back to Mike. "Nah we're just friends." She smirked looking back at the blonde.

Maura's eyes went wide, her mouth dropping open slightly before she laughed and buried her face in her arms, Mike chuckling.  
"Sorry about that. You two just converse so easily and seem so close. I guess you just have a lot of chemistry." He smiled at Jane before focusing on her tat again.

Glancing at the doctor, the soldier smirked. "We get along pretty well."  
It took an hour or so to complete the tattoo and when it was over, Jane grinned. "Wow... this is amazing, Mike. You even put the fur print in there too."

"Thank you." Mike smiled proudly. "Some of my best work yet." He chuckled and gestured for Jane to walk past him, to where Maura was standing. "Go show it off to your friend so she knows what she's getting into. And then I'll wrap it for ya."

"Thanks, Man." She walked out and showed her wrist to Maura. "What do you think?"

Maura gently took hold of Jane's hand and wrist in one hand, her other moving to lightly brush a finger over the inked skin. "It looks great. More detailed than I expected, too." She looked up at Jane and gave her a smile that reached her eyes. "Do you like it?"

Jane smiled and nodded. "I love it." She then looked up at Maura and ran her fingers through her blonde locks. "I can't wait to see yours."

Maura's smile grew even wider, if that were possible, at the affectionate gesture. "You'll be the first to see it, of course."  
As soon as Mike had Jane's wrist wrapped up, he got to work on the sketch for Maura. And once Jane had left the room, had her take a seat to get started.

Mike looked up at at Maura and smirked. "Sure you two aren't together?" He laughed as he started inking her.

Maura got out a chuckle and then held still as she heard the buzzing of the needle. "What makes us such a compelling couple?" She asked as she glanced down at him, lying on her back with her arms behind her head.

"I just think you two have great chemistry. Excuse me if I'm out of line but I saw the way Jane was looking at you. I really can't believe the two of you are only friends."

"The way she was looking at me?" Maura tilted her head, wondering what it was exactly others saw when they looked at them. Mason had, after all, been jealous from day one.

"Yeah. Like you're the only person in the world."

Maura laid her head back and stared at the ceiling as she mulled over Mike's observations. It took him about half the time it took to do Jane's tattoo to finish up Maura's. With a friendly assist from the tattoo artist, the blonde got up from the chair and walked over to the body-length mirror to check out her new inking. "It looks fantastic. Thank you, Mike."

The artist grinned and stood beside her. "You're welcome sweetie. Now how about you show that thing off to you gir... uh friend." He chuckled.

Jane sat in the chair waiting for Maura to finish up. Hearing her voice leaving the room and thanking him, Jane stood and turned, looking in all the visible spots. "Uh so what did ya get and where?"

"Someplace scandalous." Maura said in a huskier, sensual tone with a little bit of a sway. A dimpled grin slowly formed on her face as she examined Jane's reaction. "I'll show it to you after we get out of here."

Jane's breath hitched. "Mm really? So lets pay the man and get outta here then. Oh and this outing was on me." She paid Mike then left, hopping back on the bike.

Maura was quite thoroughly pleased by Jane's reaction, a smirk still firmly in place even when she had her helmet back on and once again had her arms wrapped around Jane's waist as they rode. "You shouldn't have covered my tattoo cost, too. I feel bad. You've been working so hard to get the money you've earned."

"All I need is money to pay for food and shelter and luckily I'm getting both, no charge. You deserve a gift you can enjoy."

Jane parked the bike on the side of the road after a few minutes and smiled. "I wanna see it.."

Maura made a mental note to pay Jane back in some way or another. When the bike stopped, the blonde pulled off her helmet and grinned at the former soldier. "Someone's a little impatient." She climbed off the bike and glanced around, glad they were on some back road that very few traveled. "Okay. Here you go." Maura unzipped her jeans, her lacey pink panties on display, and peeled one flap back to show off her pelvic region tattoo.

"Well when a beautiful woman has a surprise for me, its kinda hard not to be." Jane smirked. Her eyes traveled down to her pelvis and to the tattoo. "Wow look at you." She smiled. Taking a step closer she ran her finger over the clear plastic, lightly. "Does it hurt?"

Maura bit her bottom lip, all sorts of unsavory thoughts centering around Jane running through her head. "It's a little sore. But it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would."

Jane smiled. "It'll stay sore for a bit but... maybe I can help that process along." Slowly moving to her knees, she leaned in and kissed Maura's pelvis. Slowly. Sensually. Thing about Jane being drunk, she remembers everything anyway. She remembered the kiss they shared. Ever since, she had wanted that again and more.  
Lips connected with flesh once again. Looking up and into Maura's eyes, Jane smiled. "Better?"

All of those thoughts, they just came to the forefront when the brunette dropped to her knees in front of Maura. Feeling her lips on sensitive skin, the blonde closed her eyes and fought back the urge to plead for more. Her eyes were a shade darker when she opened them again to look down at Jane. "Yes." She replied breathily, though she was probably a bit worse off than she was before in one way.

Moving to stand back up, Jane smiled before leaning in and capturing Maura's lips with her own. Slowly. Seductively. After a moment Jane pulled back but rested her forehead against Maura's and breathed. "Sorry."

"Too sorry to do it again?" Maura asked, looking right into Jane's eyes before tilting her head slightly and kissing the brunette again, her hands moving to a slim waist. She knew that she shouldn't, that she should've just taken the apology and changed the topic. But Maura wanted one more kiss if they were going to quit.

Jane shook her head and grinned into the kiss. Her hands cupped a porcelain-like face as she backed up toward the bike. Straddling it backwards she pulled Maura to straddle it and her lap, without breaking the lip lock. She didn't want this moment to end.

Maura slid her hands up to Jane's sides, one brushing the side of a breast as it continued in an upward direction to rest on the side of the brunette's neck, a thumb stroking a strong jaw as their kiss deepened. It didn't take long for the kiss to become heated, Maura herself feeling as though she were on fire.

The soldier's hands moved down the blonde's back and slipped into the back of the woman's jeans, feeling her bare ass. Lips broke away from hers and traveled down to Maura's neck, finding that sweet spot instantly.

Maura tilted her head to the side for the brunette and moaned when Jane's mouth hit the right spot. The blonde's hands moved behind the other woman, nails raking down her back. Maura's hips lifted as she pressed herself flush against the soldier.

A few more minutes had passed before Jane pulled back to catch her breath. "Mm wow..." She whispered. "I can't get enough of you."

"I know how you feel. I want more." Maura brushed her lips against Jane's and rubbed noses with her. "But we can't. I can't." She said regretfully and leaned back.

"I know." She sighed. "You deserve the best, but honestly I'm not that." Leaning into her once again, she kissed her lips softly. "So you never did tell me what that Chinese symbol means."

"It's not that, Jane. You're amazing." Maura was quick to correct when their lips parted. "But there's Mason..." The veterinarian looked down at the bike between them for a moment before looking back up at Jane. "Love." She said softly, looking right into chocolate eyes. "It's the Japanese symbol for love."

**The End**

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**Just kidding! **

**Reviews are awesome by the way!**


	4. Chapter 4

Maura and Jane went their separate ways when they got back to the ranch, the veterinarian deciding to avoid Mason, too, by accompanying her father to another ranch stead to inspect a horse he was thinking of purchasing. Sitting in the front seat of his F-150, Maura was quiet as her father drove, watching the outside world whirl by as she stared out the window.

Ryan glanced over at his daughter and smiled. "You and Jane seem to have hit it off quite well. What did you do today?"

"We did." Maura nodded. A little too well, she thought. "We went for a ride on a crotch rocket." She smiled just thinking about their day. "I've always wanted to ride one and she rented one so I could."

"I hope she stays a while. Jane is a great worker and she seems fond of you. Its nice to see you smile as big as you do now."

"What? I wasn't smiling very wide before?" Maura asked as she glanced over at her father, the hint of a smile on her face.

Ryan smirked. "Not like this. I know you two are just friends but... hell I think soldier girl is better for you than Mason ever was or good be."

Maura pressed her lips together tightly and was silent for a moment. "Would you really be okay with me dating another woman?"

He glanced over at his daughter. "Has it... has it gotten to that point, Maura. I thought you two were just friends."

"We are... It's just..." It wasn't a topic Maura really wanted to discuss with her father, but she couldn't lie without breaking into hives or hyperventilating. "Complicated. It's just complicated right now."

"Complicated? Hm." He started. "So, Do you think if the two of you started a relationship that you would be happy?"

"I'm already in a relationship." She replied, propping her elbow on the window's edge and resting her head in her hand as she looked over at her father. "But, hypothetically speaking, yes. I think I'd be happy if Jane and I ever went down that path."

"Then I wouldn't mind it." He smiled softly. "And you may be in a relationship now but, I can see you're not happy with him. Something is going on between you two that you aren't telling me." Ryan placed his hand on Maura's knee. "I don't think you and Mason will last if you really want my opinion."

"Well, you did raise me. I do value your opinion." Maura smiled softly. If she were honest with herself, she hadn't been happy with Mason for a while now. Maybe it was time for a change. "Things are a little rough right now, but I'll be happy. You'll see."

He nodded. "Alright.. I'll be waiting."

Jane had been working for hours working to repair the wooden fence. No one had suggested she do it, but she had found a few boards were rotted. So she took one of the company trucks and got some lumber. The soldier didn't see Ryan's truck pull in but Jake did and the moment he saw Maura he charged to greet her.

The veterinarian bent over to pet him, a big smile spreading across her lips as she rubbed Jake's head and neck. "Hey there, boy. Jane keeping you busy? Hmm?" She glanced up at the brunette and gave her a sweet smile too. "Looks like you've been hard at work. As usual."

Noticing Jake had run off, Jane walked after him. In her usual tank and jeans, with her tan work gloves. Pulling those off she smiled brightly. "Of course. Gotta earn my keep around here. So did you two end up getting the horse?"

"You more than earn your keep here." Maura said sincerely, standing up straight. "And we did. Mr. Maynard will be bringing Derecho over here tomorrow afternoon." She walked up to the soldier and gently took her hand in her own, palm up, looking over her new tattoo. "The glove isn't rubbing it too much, is it?"

"If I say it is, will you kiss it and make it better?" Jane asked in a low voice with a smirk planted on her lips.

"Maybe." Maura said mysteriously, grinning. "I'm going to head inside and start dinner. So why don't you take it easy for the rest of the day and come inside to keep me company?"

"Mm maybe I will." She grinned and followed Maura inside and straight into the kitchen.

"So, tell me about this horse."

"There's not really a whole lot to say. He's young. He's strong. And he's fast." She smiled as she glanced over her shoulder at Jane. "Maynard is just getting too old for the business." The blonde got out the ingredients she needed and got them started on the stove before turning to the brunette. "So, tell me more about you and Jake. You said he's saved your life multiple times."

"Jake is trained to do a lot and sniffing out bombs is one of them. I happened to be patroling the perimeter with him. Someone had put our landmines in my path a few hours earlier. He could smell it and my foot was right over one before he jumped in front of me, stood up and pushed me backward. Jake showed me what I was about to step on."

"Well, then, he's become my second favorite guy." Maura smiled and leaned against the counter top, arms crossed. "You said that you'd received a Purple Heart. How'd you get hurt?"

Jane pulled up her tank a little, sweat still glistening on her body, and showed Maura the scar right above her hip. "I was in a hostage situation... They had broken Jake's leg and already killed one of my men. They went after my dog with a gun and everything after that was a blur, really."

Maura didn't even think. She stepped closer and reached out to run her fingers over the scar gently. "So you saved each other." She said as she looked up into the brunette's eyes. "You really are amazing, Jane. There's not many people who would step into the path of a bullet for a human being let alone an animal."

Jane smiled. "Thank you, but I owed Jake my life." Her fingertips ran up Maura's arm slowly. "So, what would you like to do tomorrow?"

"I have to work. But when I get off, we could go for that ride we missed out on last week." She said softly, not bothering to put any sort of distance between them.

"I'd like that." She smiled then took Maura's hand, looked around then kissed her knuckles lightly. Eyes locked to hers.

Maura smiled softly and then brushed the backs of her fingers against Jane's cheek, cupping it gently. She was about to speak again when Ryan walked in, the blonde dropping her hand and stepping back from Jane. "Hi, Dad. Dinner's almost ready."

Ryan saw but simply smiled. "Good, I'm starved. Smells good."

Jane smiled and turned to speak to him. "I hear you have a new addition, Sir. I look forward to meeting Derecho."

"Good. Cause I figured you could be the one to handle him." Ryan smiled as he walked past the two to the fridge to grab a beer. He popped the top off, took a long swallow and then turned to his newest ranch hand. "You've done nothing but great work since you got here. I appreciate it, Jane."

The soldier's jaw dropped. "R-really?" She smiled. "Thank you, sir. I won't let you down." Being trusted with a new horse, that was more than likely a very pretty penny, was a huge honor to Jane. "I really like working here, Mr. Isles. I may stay longer than planned. Jake seems to like it too."

A crooked grin covered Ryan's face, the man knowing exactly what it was about his ranch that Jane liked. And he didn't mind one bit. "You can stay as long as you'd like. I know I could always use a worker like you. And I don't seem to be the only one who enjoys having you around." He winked at his daughter.

Jane looked to Maura and smirked. However that smile dropped from each face when Mason walked in and hung his blazer up on the rack. "There's my girl." He grinned and walked right in front of Jane to pull Maura into his arms and kiss her lightly.

Ryan noticed that the soldier went tense the moment Mason walked in the room.

He couldn't really blame Jane. Mason put him at unease, too. Sighing, Ryan started to head for the living room, gently clasping Jane's shoulder as he did so. "How about you grab a beer and join me in the living room? We can try to finish up that baseball game that's on before dinner."

"Yes, sir." Jane did as suggested and went to the fridge, grabbed a beer and joined Ryan in the living room. Sitting down at the end of the couch, she took a swallow of her beer and sighed.

"It appears you feel much the same way I do about a certain someone." Ryan noted, peeling his eyes away from the game to glance over at Jane.

Jane gave a weak half smirk. "I'm not a fan." She looked over her shoulder then back at Ryan. "Especially after I saw his hand print in the form of a bruise on her wrist."

"What!?" Ryan's voice boomed.

Maura was at the stove finishing up dinner, Mason hovering. "Soo, how was your day?" She asked, keeping conversation simple as she had a lot more on her mind.

"It was fine. I've been thinking a lot. I really want to take you out tonight after dinner. Maybe get some wine and watch a movie at the drive in theater. I know how you love that."

"I do love that." Maura nodded, trying to decide how exactly she wanted to go about things with Mason. Their relationship had been rocky for awhile now, and Jane's presence was only stretching the distance between them. But, she also didn't know the soldier very well. And Jane was probably going to leave. "As long as I get to pick the movie." She smiled over at her boyfriend.

"Only if you pick an action movie." Mason chuckled then turned Maura around to face him, kissing her lips lightly. "I love you, Maura. I'm sorry for snapping at you the other night. Forgive me?"

"I forgive you." Maura said, slipping her arms around his waist. "I just wish we didn't fight all the time. It's getting old."

"I know, I've been an ass lately and I'm sorry. I want to make you happy. I don't want you to think you have to find someone else to replace me." He was about to kiss his girlfriend when Ryan came storming in, Jane following him trying to calm the older man down.

Ryan was red faced, stopping just a few feet from the couple and pointing at Mason. "You have the gumption to come under my roof, act like we're all good and cheery, when you're mistreating my daughter? You lay a hand on her again, you son of a bitch, and you won't be charming any other women with your smile because I'll knock all your teeth out."

"What the hell are you talking about Ryan?!" Mason slapped his finger out of his own face. He then turned to Maura. "What did you tell him?"

Maura's eyes darted from her father to Jane, a look of betrayal crossing her face before she slowly turned her gaze to Mason. "I didn't..."  
"She didn't tell me anything." Ryan gently took hold of Maura's hand so he could see her wrist, the bruise barely visible but still there. "I'm talking about this." He glared at Mason.

Jane looked away from Maura.

Mason clenched his jaw. "I didn't mean to. I had gotten a little rough, trying to get the tv control back from her. I really didn't mean to hurt her sir, I swear. Maura's knows that."

"I don't really care what Maura thinks right now since she isn't expressing the best judgment. I want you gone, Mason. I don't want you at dinner. I don't want to see you again until I've had the chance to cool off."

The younger man glared at his once friend, he then looked to Jane knowing she had a part of this. Turning to Maura he took her face gently in his hands. "Leave with me, I'll take you to dinner and do whatever it is you wanna do."

Maura's mouth hung, about to reply, when Ryan cut in. "Oh hell no. She's not going anywhere with you tonight."

A rare flash of anger then crossed the blonde's face as she turned her head to glare at her father. "I'm not some teenager you can order around anymore. You can't tell me when I can or can't go out with someone." Maura began to storm right past Ryan and Jane.

Mason followed behind her and smirked in a cocky fashion toward the blonde's father before walking out of the house with her. He took his girlfriend's hand and kissed it. "Let's go eat, sweetie."

Ryan was still fuming, pacing back and forth in the kitchen. "I should've wiped the smirk off that bastard's face. How could Maura just go off with that prick?"

Jane cupped Ryan's shoulder. "She loves him. What would you do if you were in her shoes?" Jane was trying to be a peace maker. "Look, somehow Mason is going to leave this place. He'll screw up. Hopefully, not at Maura's expense, but he will. And then you can get rid of his sorry ass."

Ryan took a deep breath and calmed down a bit. "She's about fed up with him, too. She just..." He sighed. "Maura spent so many years trying to please her mother and everyone around her that she hit a point where she was just done. And ever since then, she doesn't like to be forced into anything. Which is what I was trying to do." He sighed again.

"You were trying to force her away from him? How will that work? I mean if you try to force her wont she just hold onto him harder?"

"Yes." Ryan nodded and rubbed his face. "Which is why I'm kicking myself right now. But I was just so upset." He took another calming breath and turned to Jane. "She likes you, Jane. Maybe you can talk some sense into her."

She shook her head. "Probably not... I kinda betrayed her by telling you and she knows it. There'll be a way to get him out and to get her to wisen up. Just have to be patient. But if he hurts her again... I'll go after him. I will protect your daughter."

"Thank you." Ryan turned off the stove then patted Jane's shoulder. "I can already tell you care about her, and I'm glad she has someone like you to look out for her. She'll forgive you too. She'll just need a bit of space."

With a nod, Jane placed a hand on top of his. "I do care about her but space I will give her." She took a step towards the living room. "I'm going to get Jake then head up to bed. Goodnight, Ryan." She gave him a sweet smiled and did what she had said she would.

-

Mason showed Maura a good time and took her back home with the plans of making love to his girlfriend. It had gotten heated until he noticed something on her pelvis. Brows furrowed he eyed it. "What the hell is that?"

Maura leaned back and glanced down at the inking. "It's exactly what it looks like." She glanced back up at her boyfriend. "It's a tattoo. I just got it today."

He glared up at her. "Today?" With a shake of his head he stood up off the bed. "Why the hell would you get one of those? Defile your body like that? Huh?" Mason started to pace. "She talked you into this didn't she?" Turning to Maura his jaws clenched. "She HAS got to go! What else is she going to talk you into huh?"

"First of all, I don't do anything I don't want to do." Maura said, getting up on her knees on the bed to face Mason. "So she's not going to be talking me into anything I wouldn't already do without her influence. And defile my body? Really?" She asked, tilting her head with a bit of that attitude again. "Tattooing has been practiced for centuries in cultures around the worlds, often times marking warriors and in the 1870s, wealth for the crowned heads of Europe. There's nothing wrong with it."

"You're not a fuckin' warrior, Maura. Hell you can barely lift a bale of hay around here. I don't give a shit about the history of tatts, I don't like them and I definitely don't like them on you. You look dirty. And what the hell does that shit mean anyway? Soup?"

"Yes, soup, in Japanese, that's exactly what I'd get tattooed on my body." Maura said in the most bitchy tone she could muster and climbed off the bed. "You don't like, you don't have to look at it." She picked up her discarded shirt from the floor and pulled it back on. "You can go find yourself a clean, unmarked girlfriend." She glared before heading for the living room.

"Maybe I will!" Mason groaned and got into bed, leaving Maura to sleep on the couch if she wanted.

XxX

Jane was able to take Derecho out onto the track. From the starting gate, she road the stallion at full speed around each turn and finished at record speed. Pulling him down to a walk at the line, she laughed with glee. "Damn that was Sweet!" Jane exclaimed when Brock and Ryan came into the dirt track.

"He's looking good. It's too bad you're too tall to be a jockey." Ryan chuckled and stopped to pat Derecho's strong neck. He glanced up at Jane with a smile. "You're a natural, Jane."  
Brock nodded in agreement beside him, dipping the tip of his cowboy hat in a show of respect.

"Thank you sir." She smiled then looked down to Brock. She swore if she didn't have a chance with Maura she would go for for that man. He was practically perfect. However, her thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Mason storming up towards the track. "Shit, what does he want?"

"Dammit. I was hoping not to see his mug for a couple of days." Ryan said, gritting his teeth.

Mason stopped a few feet from the men, glaring up at Jane. "I want to talk to you. Alone."

Jane looked to the guys and nodded once before swinging her leg over and sliding down the side of the saddle. "What?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ryan and Brock reluctantly walked off, Mason watching until they got a comfortable distance away. And then he leaned into Jane, teeth clenched. "I want you gone. You said you weren't staying long, that you're a drifter. So go. You're a bad influence for Maura and you're ruining what we have."

Jane smiled. "You know, I kinda like it here. I like Maura, she just so happens to be my friend and you know what? She deserves better that a mean ass, disrespectful little man telling her what to do and when to do it." She got in his face. "I'll tell you one thing that you better take personally. If I ever see another bruise on that woman, I'll feed your balls to the coyotes."

"I'd never hurt her intentionally." Mason practically growled. "I just had a stronger grip than I thought. It was an accident that you blew out of proportion. Now her dad thinks I'm an abusive asshole when I'm not."

The soldier shrugged. "You just keep what I said in mind." She took Derecho's reins and started to lead him out of the track.

"Yeah, well, remember this, Rizzoli. If you keep messing with Maura and I's relationship, you will come to regret ever stepping foot on the Isles Ranch." Mason called out with a dark half smirk.

"I'm not the one ruining your relationship, Mason. You are." She said without looking back at the man. Jake was trotting beside her and she lovingly pat his head. Once back at the ranch house she tied the horse to a stake and turned the water hose on and started to bathe him once his tack was off.

Jane had just wrapped up his bath and gotten Derecho back in his stall when Maura walked in, leaning against the doorway. "You looked really good out there with him. Derecho's a great specimen, isn't he?"

Jane turned and smiled softly. "He really is. You and your father made a great choice, Maura." She smiled and walked out of the stall, closing it behind her. "Look, I'm really sorry about what happened last night. I didn't mean to say anything to him it just slipped out. I'm sorry."

"I trusted you, Jane. And you let me down." Maura walked around her to open the gate and step inside, setting her medical bag down and moving to examine Derecho. "I'm an adult. I don't need you or my father stepping in to tell me what to do." She said without glancing at the brunette.

Jane moved inside with her. "I'm not here to tell you what to do, Maura." She sighed. "He confronted me today. Mason wants me gone."

"I don't give a damn what he wants." Maura replied, finally glancing over at Jane before turning her attention back to the steed. "After last night, I'm fed up with his behavior, too."

"Last night? What happened? You okay?" Jane questioned, moving in front of her friend and resting her hand on the woman's neck. "I promise none of if will get back to your father."

"Yes, because confiding in you the first time went so well." Maura said cooly and stepped around her to walk over to Derecho's other side. "I'm fine, though. He didn't hurt me. He just seems to think my body is another one of his possessions."

Jane sighed softly and nodded but then furrowed her brows. "He saw your tat?"

"Yes, and he wasn't thrilled about it. Said it defiled my body." Maura said as she ran her hands down Derecho's leg. "But it's my body to do as I please with, and I told him he could go find an unmarked girlfriend." She sighed and stood.

Shaking her head she rested her arms on the stallion's back and looked down at her. "I'm not trying to ruin your relationship with him. I'm really not."

"He's doing that well all on his own." Maura finally met Jane's gaze. "I'm not upset with you for caring about my well-being. I just wish what I'd told you in confidence hadn't been shared with my father. I don't need a knight in shining armor storming the gates to save me, Jane."

Jane walked around the horse, never breaking eye contact with Maura. "Well, what if this said knights really likes you and wants to be there for you and is willing to cherish you for who you are?" By the time Jane finished the question she was standing right in front of Maura, placing her hand on the side of the doctor's neck. Her thumb stroking her jaw

Maura leaned into Jane's touch and covered her hand with her own, just enjoying her warmth for a moment before gently pulling her hand away. "I'd say this knight could have the chance to do just that after I take some time to sort things out and get to know her better."

"Well, I'm staying around for a while longer. I like being here, mostly because of you." She smiled. "How about after you finish your job for the day, we go take that ride? I'm sure Jake would like to get some running in." She chuckled.

Maura smiled and nodded. "Alright. When I get back, we'll go for that ride. With Jake." She stepped forward and kissed Jane's cheek softly. "I'll see you in a few hours."

Jane smiled. "See you then."

Those few hours seemed to take forever but by the time Maura got home, her horse and a horse of Jane's choosing was tacked up and waiting to be ridden. Jane was sitting against the stables with Jake's head resting on her thigh, dozed off.

Maura smiled softly at the sight and squatted down in front of Jane, Jake turning his head to the veterinarian who scratched behind his ear and earned herself a pleased sigh. She chuckled and patted his side before leaning in to press a soft kiss to a small scar on Jane's forehead. "Hey, sleepyhead."

Jane opened her eyes and smiled. "Hey, beautiful. Now waking up to you is quite amazing." She chuckled and slowly got up. "Ready to go?"

Maura's smile grew wider before she moved to stand and offer Jane a hand. "I am. I saw that you already have the horses ready to go." She started for the inside of the stables. "So what'd you do today?"

"I happened to finish the fence I was working on and gave Beauty and a few other horses baths." Jane smiled and walked the gray mare out of the stables with Maura and her horse following. "You have a pretty good day?" She asked before mounting Cloud.

"I did." Maura smiled, climbing up on her horse. "I dealt with minor health cases today, many of the animals young and strong. It's always a good day when you don't have to euthanize a creature because its too sick."

"Well good. I'm glad you didn't have to go through that today." She smiled sweetly. The two rode for about a hour, exploring the land beyond the ranch. Through a brush of trees, Jane and Maura walked upon a gorgeous pond, hidden away from all prying eyes.

"Wow... this is beautiful." Jane whispered.

"I've always thought so." Maura said, glancing over at Jane. "It's hotter today than it has been. I'm sure your exocrine and apocrine glands have been working overtime." She smirked and dismounted. "So let's take a dip and cool off."

Jane raised her brow then slide of off Cloud. "Are you about to cross another list item off?" She smirked and pulled her tank off, standing in her bra and jeans now.

"Mmhmm." Maura nodded and unbuttoned her blouse, letting it drop to the ground before turning to face the brunette in her bra. "Hope you're not bashful." She said with a smirk, tilting her head playfully as she looked Jane over before yanking off her work boots and then unbuttoning her jeans to tug them down.

"No, just lustful." Jane mumbled as she kicked off her own boots then pulled down her jeans. Her eyes stayed on Maura. The moment the doctor stripped down to bare nothing, the soldier had a hard time breathing.

Jake followed Maura in quickly and jumped into the water. It didn't take much longer for Jane to strip completely and join them.

Maura laughed and rubbed Jake's back as he swam by her happily, the blonde's eyes greedily taking Jane's form in. She noticed a lot of scars, but didn't mind them one bit. They were a part of the soldier, told her story. "You're very beautiful, Jane."

"I'm nothing compared to you." Jane smiled sweetly and floated towards her. "You are the goddess here."

Maura shrugged a shoulder and shook her head. "I don't agree. But that is really sweet." She smiled and watched Jane get closer.

Jane smiled. "Humble too." Resting her hand on the side of Maura's neck Jane looked into her eyes. "You're the reason I've stayed this long. I wanna get to know you, all of you. And I want you to get to know me too."

"You're going to have to stay a lot longer if you want to do that." Maura said, her voice heavy with emotion. "Think you can do that?" She asked, floating a bit closer to Jane so that their noses were practically touching.

"For you?" She smiled sweetly. "I'll do anything." Jane brushed her lips against Maura's in a soft sensual kiss before pulling back slightly. The brunette's free hand ran down the length of Maura's ribs and around to the small of her back, before bringing them flush together.

Maura gasped at the contact, the blonde moving her hands to rest on the sides of Jane's neck, her thumbs setting on the brunette's jaw as she leaned in to kiss her again. The longer it went on, the more heated it became as they explored each other's mouths.

And the more they explored each others mouths the more Jane's hands wandered. Both scarred hands gripped Maura's ass and moved her thigh in between the woman's.

Maura moaned into Jane's mouth and pressed down hard on her thigh, trying to get more friction as the ache of want and need grew. She ran her hands down to cup and gently squeeze small but perky breasts, wanting to please Jane, too.

Jane whimpered against the woman's mouth and floated back enough to get one foot on the bottom of the pond to gain more leverage against Maura's core. "Mm fuck... Maura." The soldier moaned against the blonde's lips, loving the feeling of her heat on her flesh.

Maura tried to focus on Jane, but after awhile, she gave into her own pleasure, kissing the soldier fervently as she rocked against her thigh. She shuddered when she came, Jane's name torn from her lips, and clung to the brunette.

Just hearing her own named being moaned in the most passionate way possible sent Jane over the edge. Sinking into the water slightly as the strength of her leg went out, Jane held onto her new lover, burying her face in the crook of Maura's neck. "Wow..."

"Now you really can't leave anytime soon." Maura chuckled and, still breathing a bit heavy, leaned back just enough to brush her lips against Jane's. Then she looked into her dark orbs, her own eyes reflecting not just lust, but deep affection as she spoke softly. "Because I want more."

**Wow that was a long one. What do ya'll think?!**

**Reviews are magic unicorns btw**


	5. Chapter 5

**Have a mentioned how awesome y'all are?! The reviews are great and so are the favors/follows. We're so stoked that you like this story as well as you do. Thank you so much for reading. My writing partner and I have a book in the works... rough works. But still. Lol**

**(we don't own the characters of this story at all. Except maybe the original ones (: )**

Sitting across from each other at the dinner table without having a bit of eye sex was almost impossible. Especially now. The ranch boys, Ryan, Mason and the girls were all eating together with light chatter going on, but Jane blocked most of it out. Her focus was on the woman in front of her. That gorgeous, goddess of a woman that was stealing her heart piece by piece.

Brock was chatting with Maura about what made a race horse faster, the blonde explaining as best she could while stealing interspersed glances at Jane. Mason noticed, and though Ryan had agreed to continue doing business with him, the two currently chatting about work, he couldn't help but glare at the soldier. Maura had broken up with him the morning after their argument, before she left for work. And, not knowing the activity she had engaged in with Jane that evening, the man vowed internally to get her back by any means necessary.

Jet, one of the hands, started talking with Jane about a wild stallion that was roaming the outskirts of the land. Though the topic was very interesting her mind kept wandering back to Maura and so did her eyes ever time he or she took a bite of food.

Maura smiled the moment their eyes locked, butterflies more intense than she'd ever felt fluttering around in her stomach.

Ryan soon noticed their exchanges, the man grinning. Once the ranch hands and Mason were gone, he spoke up. "You two seem to be on much better terms. You made up, huh?"

"Uh, yeah you can say that." She grinned over at Maura with nothing but affection in her eyes.

Maura bit her bottom lip and nodded, thinking about that make-up session of theirs. "We are on much, much better terms now." She winked at the brunette, her father too busy gathering plates from the table to notice that little exchange.

Jane had a slow, dimpled smirk that came across her features. "Yeah we are." The soldier helped her boss with gathering the plates and placing them in the sink before coming out to Maura. Taking her hands while no one was around, she kissed the doctor's knuckles. "How about I take you somewhere tonight? Anywhere your heart desires."

"How about we do something that you've always wanted to do for a change?" The blonde asked, lacing her fingers with Jane's so that their palms were pressed together. "You never did give me your bucket list."

Jane smiled. "Well my bucket list is a little over the top like going to Africa and playing with the lions." She laughed.

Maura laughed and leaned into Jane, their cheeks brushing as her lips came to rest near the brunette's ear. "Maybe we could do those things one day, but let's start with something a little smaller. There has to be something you'd like to do that we can do around here."

Jane bit her lip, her hand moving to the small of Maura's back. "Well I've heard the zoo here is pretty badass. Wanna go there?"

"There are lions there." Maura backed away and smiled. "But it won't be open for much longer today. We'll go tomorrow. Tonight, we could watch a movie, just relax."

Jane grinned. "I like the sound of that much better."

Ryan walked into the dining area they were standing in then, a grin covering his face. "So, what do you ladies have planned for this evening?"

"Oh, I believe we have movie night filled with comfy pillows and popcorn ahead of us, Mr. Isles."

"Ryan. You can call me Ryan." He smiled. "And that sounds like a nice night in. I can finish up cleaning around here. You two should go ahead and get that movie night started."

"Yes sir and thank you." She smiled. Once the popcorn was popped she took Maura's hand and whistled for Jake to join them up in her room. Walking in with Maura and the dog, the soldier's plopped down on the bed. Jane reached for the blonde and pulled her down into her arms, kissing the woman's cheek. "Mm think he suspects?"

"Oh I think he knows." Maura confirmed, wrapping an arm around Jane's waist and snuggling against her side, head resting on her shoulder. "He's already noticed how fond you are of me." She smirked. "And he thought we'd make a good match."

"Oh really now? Have you and daddy dearest been talking about me?"

"On the way over to check out Derecho. He said he thought you were better for me than Mason. I was curious as to whether or not he'd be okay with me dating a female." She turned her head to kiss Jane's shoulder. "He said he would be."

"Well, you told me earlier that you broke up with the jerk, I would like to have a chance with you. To show you what a real relationship is like."

"I'd like to give you that chance." Maura said softly, glancing up at the brunette and pressing her lips to Jane's in a sweet kiss. "Tell me something about yourself I don't already know."

"Hm..." Jane thought about it. "My favorite color is blue." She kissed her lips once more, briefly. "You're turn."

"Mint cream." Maura moved to straddle Jane then, blocking her view of the TV. "What's your favorite hobby?"

Jane's rough hands moved up smooth thighs. "Hm my old favorite hobby used to be archery but my new favorite hobby happens to be you."

Maura smirked and ran her hands up Jane's arms as she leaned in. "Now that's a good answer." She replied, her breath on Jane's lips before she kissed her. "And, I have to admit, I'm a little surprised it was archery."

"Yeah?" Jane asked with a smirk after returning the kiss. She flipped them over and placed a kiss on Maura's pulse point. "What did you think it would be?"

"I thought it would be some other sport, like softball or basketball." She wrapped a leg around Jane so that her foot was rubbing against the brunette's calf. "You're tall and lean. Perfect for a basketball player."

"I used to play softball at the BPD leagues and I played basketball with my brother in the driveway, but in high school I fell in love with shooting targets. Silent but deadly." She smiled and moved her pelvis against Maura's slightly. "What are your hobbies? Hm?"

"That skill would make you a more adept soldier." Maura sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and bit down, releasing it slowly. "I'm a big art fan. I like to go to museums and look at it. I love to create it even more."

"Mm." Jane moved her hand slowly up the bottom of the doctor's shirt. "Oh? What do you like to do most? Paint, draw, sculpt?"

"Paint. Landscape and abstract mostly." The veterinarian lifted her head and planted a line of kisses from right under Jane's jaw to the crook of her neck.

"You'll have to show me one day. But right now, you're the only masterpiece I want to see." The solder smiled and lifted Maura's shirt and started planting kisses down her chest and torso. Unbuttoning her pants she looked up with eyes asking permission. "Maura, can I make love to you?"

Maura's heart was pounding in her chest, her breathing growing heavier, as she watched Jane's descent. Their eyes locked and the animal doctor nodded her consent, lifting her hips to assist the soldier in getting her pants off quicker.

Sitting on her knees she pulled Maura's jeans and panties down smooth legs before spreading her gates and kissing her way down the inside of the woman's thighs. Heated breath labored on the blonde's core. She was smooth there as well which made it even more tempting. The soldier moved her tongue through Maura's lips and flicked her clit quickly.

Maura's body reacted immediately, a throaty moan escaping her lips as she arched her back. "Jane..." She grabbed a fistful of that dark, unruly hair and clutched onto the bed sheet tightly with her other hand.

Hearing her own name being moaned made Jane set a goal to have Maura screaming her name before she was done. Moving her mouth completely over her pussy, the soldier rammed her tongue inside and forced it as far as she could before tickling her walls with the tip.

"Oh fuck!" It could've very well been the first curse word to come out of Maura's mouth in Jane's presence but, the blonde usually avoided that sort of language unless she was in the heat of the moment. And the former soldier did have her bucking her hips, a whimper of pleasure slipping past her lips as she could already feel her orgasm building toward an explosive release.

Jane's brows shot up and a smirk came to her lips. Taking a deep breath, she then let it out in a moan that shook Maura's core from the outside in, sending vibrations into her.

A couple more swipes of Jane's expert tongue against her most sensitive of spots and Maura was flung over the edge into the most intense climax she'd ever had. She cried out Jane's name over and over, completely unable to control herself.

The brunette drank every bit of her and lovingly kissed her way back up the doctor's body, sucking on each nipple for a couple minutes each before locking lips with Maura. "Mm... You are the best I've ever had." Jane whispered then kissed her neck lightly.

Maura's body shuddered and she let out a soft moan when Jane kissed her again. "That was definitely the most intense orgasm I've ever had." She pulled the brunette closer and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "You're good, Jane Rizzoli. Really good." She smirked.

"You gave me motivation to be the best I could be to please you the way you always should be." Jane smiled and wrapped her arms around Maura, underneath her. "I'm going to stay until the day you tell me to leave."

"Then you're not going anywhere." Maura said softly, running her fingers through dark curls. "I want you right here beside me as often as I can get you."

Resting her forehead against Maura's, Jane smiled. "I'm going to treat you better than all the others. I promise, Maur." Closing the distance she kissed the doctor with a smile on her face. "I really like you." Jane whispered with a small chuckle.

Maura smiled brightly and rubbed noses with her lover in a clear display of affection. "I really like you, too." She flipped them quickly and unexpectedly, now lying between Jane's legs as she kissed the side of her neck. "Now may I return the favor?" She asked, looking down at Jane. "I want to make you feel as good as you make me feel."

Looking up at her lover, Jane had a look of surprise. Both from the flip and the fact Maura wanted to please her too. "Really?" Out of the women she'd screwed, none offered to give it back to Jane.

Maura could see the surprise on Jane's face and hear it in her voice. "What kind of women have you been with?" She teased light-heartedly. "I want to touch you, take my time to explore you." She said huskily and then proceeded to strip Jane of any remaining clothes.

She began her exploration with a kiss to the scar on the side of Jane's neck, slowly making her way down the brunette's body, stopping to devote attention to every mark that marred Jane's skin.

Most women didn't want to even look at Jane's body. The scars were a turn off for them. Maura was different and the soldier was glad she was. Every kiss to each scar, Jane's whimpers sounded. The blonde knew how to make a warrior's body feel special.

When Maura got to the last scar before her ultimate goal - the mark right above Jane's hip that she'd received her Purple Heart for - she placed a gentle, lingering kiss there that displayed deep reverence. Then she moved back up to watch Jane's face as she slipped two fingers between her folds, gasping at how wet she was before slowly rubbing her clit in circles.

Jane was drunk off of Maura's kisses alone. A chill ran down her body at the tenderness to her most gruesome scar but when the doctor's fingers went in, a moan escaping her lips as her back arched. "Oh, Mauraaaa."

Maura had never been with a woman before. She'd admired plenty but never acted out her attraction to any until Jane. So she watched her lover's reactions closely to gauge what she liked as she teased her entrance before slowly pushing her digits into molten heat that made her moan. Then she kissed the brunette hungrily, setting a rhythm that had Jane whimpering.

Like Maura, Jane came just as hard. Her body quivered under the blonde's as she kissed her back. "Mmm Maur... damn, baby." She was working to hard to catch her breath to even realize what she had called Maura.

Maura smiled at the term of endearment but didn't bring any immediate attention to it. Both of them were covered in a sheen of sweat, all tangled up in each other. She gently caressed Jane's cheek and traced her bottom lip with a thumb before leaning down to kiss her again softly. "I like every single thing about you, Jane. Down to the last scar you're beautiful."

"Thank you, Maura. You have no idea how much that means to me." Long fingers ran through soft, tangled blonde hair. "Or how much you mean to me."

"I think I have a pretty good idea, babe." She winked and then smirked before resting her cheek against Jane's chest, her fingertips slowly running up and down Jane's side. "Because I think we're on the same page."

Jane smiled sweetly. "On the same page of the sequel to our lives."

**Alright peeps you know what to do to make us happy ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

In the week since their first real night together, Jane made sure to cherish every moment she had with her lover. The woman was absolutely remarkable.

Tonight Jane decided to cook an Italian meal for the whole gang. Once it was done she left it on warm in and on the stove as a surprise for everyone.

Brock was the first to walk in, the cowboy taking a big whiff of the delicious aroma in the air. He almost ran into Maura, turning so quickly to face her. "Hey, this smells great. Inspired by your red hot romance with an Italian, are you?" He grinned.

Maura gave a dimpled grin but shook her head. "It wasn't me. I just got home."

"Oh." He headed for the staircase and yelled for Jane. "Hey, Rizzoli! Get your butt down here!"

Jane walked downstairs with a chuckle. "Find the food did ya?"

Jake caught sight of Maura and zoomed down the stairs, hopped up and wrapped his paws around the doctor's waist before kissing under her chin.

"Hey! You're not allowed to get the first kiss, ya horn dog." Jane laughed and walked up to kiss her girlfriend's cheek. Turning towards Brock she smirked and patted his shoulder. "Hey you."

Maura laughed and rubbed Jake's sides, speaking to him affectionately as she gently took hold of his face. "There's the man of my life. It's good to see you, boy."

She smiled as she let Jake go, the dog running off to the kitchen, and stepped close to kiss Jane's cheek in return, flashing her a sweet smile before Brock spoke. "Hey. So what sparked the desire to cook something that smells so good?"

"To give Maura a break and I kinda wanted to feed my ego by hearing how great my cooking skills are." Jane laughed. "Wanna go get the boys and tell them dinner's ready?"

Brock laughed and pat Jane's shoulder. "Well I don't know if your cooking skills are actually great. Just because it smells good doesn't mean it tastes good." He teased, Maura shooing him off.

"Oh stop. Go get the rest of the guys."

He chuckled and nodded. "Yes, boss." Brock walked off and Maura turned to Jane. "Thank you for making dinner. It does smell great." She leaned in and kissed Jane softly.

"You're welcome, sweetie." Jane smiled and returned the kiss. "How about after dinner we have another movie night? Maybe the old Disney classics like Lion King and Aladdin." She smiled. "Then tomorrow go to the zoo since our day last week got rained out."

"I'm off tomorrow so the zoo sounds great and as long as Beauty and the Beast is on the list I'm in for an evening of Disney." Maura replied, clearly excited. "Belle was always my favorite princess because she was so smart and didn't take Gaston's crap." She smiled, her dimple showing.

Jane grinned. "Then Beauty and the Beast is definitely on the list." She kissed said dimple.

"Good." Maura took a hold of Jane's hand and led her to the kitchen, Brock and the boys walking in shortly after them.

"If anybody drops dead, it's Rizzoli's fault tonight." Brock teased as he took a seat next to Jane at the table.

"Gosh, Brock, how did you find out I poisoned your food?! Now you ruined the surprise." Jane whinned.

Brock laughed and playfully shoved Jane's shoulder. "You're such a comedian."

Ryan walked in then, taking a seat at the head of the table. "Something sure does smell good. Italian?"

"Yes sir. The boys made you a plate. I hope you like it. If it sucks Brock made it, if its good, I did." Jane laughed softly.

Brock punched Jane's arm gently, playfully, as father/daughter laughed. "I'll remember that as I'm taking my first bite." Ryan smiled and loaded up his fork, shoveling it into his mouth. "Mmm. I guess Jane did the cooking, huh?" He winked.

"Yes sir, thought I would give Maura the night off and kinda surprise all of ya."

"Well it's great, Jane. Really. Maura has some competition now." He grinned at his daughter, who looked over at Jane and smiled.

"I prefer to see it as a great partnership, really." She laced her fingers with Jane's under the table.

Jane squeezed Maura's hand lightly and grinned. "Thank you sir." She looked over to her girlfriend and nodded. "We should make a collaboration tomorrow night."

"I'll cook tomorrow night, actually." Ryan tossed in. "You two go off and enjoy yourselves. You could always collaborate later."

"Thank you, sir."

"Oh I think they've already done some collaborating." Brock said under his breath, glancing down at his food.

Hearing what the ranch hand said, Jane made sure she kicked him hard underneath the table.

"What was that you said, son?" Ryan questioned Brock.

"Ow!" Brock bit his cheek and looked up at Ryan. "Nothing, Sir. I mean, I'm really looking forward to that collaboration. Both are such great cooks."

Jane held in her laughter. Then dug into her meal happily.

When things were cleaned up, Jane took Maura upstairs and pushed her against the hall wall gently. Lips brushing the blonde's. "How about we collab in the shower?"

Maura chuckled and then sombered up as she gently guided Jane back up against the opposing wall. "I say we collaborate in the shower and then on the bed and maybe on the floor if we fall off said bed again." She grinned, kissing Jane's pulse point.

"Mm I love it when you want me."

XxX  
After finally taking a break from love making Jane popped in Beauty and the Beast and cuddled with Maura and Jake once he got into the room. "Mm perfect end to a pretty okay day."

"Agreed." Maura smiled and wrapped her arms around the brunette as she cuddled close to her, occasionally reaching across to pet a content Jake.

They fell asleep all wrapped up around each other. The next morning was a beautiful one, the sun filtering through the blinds as Maura set up, kissed Jane's forehead and climbed out of bed to get ready for the day.

Jane woke up about thirty minutes later and looked around. "Johnny?" She said slowly sitting up and looking around. Realizing where she was, Jane rubbed her eyes and sighed softly. Relieved.

"Did you say something?" Maura popped her head out from the bathroom, her toothbrush in hand. She smiled softly at her brunette lover. "Good morning, by the way."

"I.. no not really. Just looking for you." Jane smiled "Good morning, babe." She said then got out of the bed and got ready for the day as well. "What time were you thinking about going to the zoo?"

"I figured we could leave as soon as we're both dressed." Maura stepped back into the bathroom to finish brushing her teeth and then began fixing her hair. "If that's okay with you?" She called out.

"Fine with me." Jane smiled then went to the bathroom. "You know you had a great bedroom as a kid." She kissed her shoulder.

"I know." Maura smiled, turning her head in Jane's direction. "But I like it a lot more now."

XxX

Walking through the front gates of the zoo, Jane looked at the map and grinned. "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my... Oh! Shit they have hyenas too!?" The soldier was almost giddy as a child.

Maura laughed and linked her arm with Jane's as they began strolling through the zoo. "A fan of hyenas, are you? There's definitely plenty here to keep us entertained. I vote we go see your lions last."

"Alright save the best for last. However I've heard they have a zip line that runs from one side of the zoo to the other. I vote we do that as well."

"Ooh. Yeah, that's a new addition this year. We'll definitely have to give it a try." Maura smiled as she walked with Jane, stopping in front of the bear exhibit. "So what's your favorite animal? The lion?"

"Favorite animal? Hm, a panther actually. The mystery about them is just amazing to me." She smiled and gazed at the bears like a child. "What's your favorite animal?"

"Burden of the world huh? Good thing they have such a hard shell." Jane chuckled softly.

Maura laughed and slipped her hand into Jane's, lacing their fingers together as they headed to the next exhibit. "Their shells are actually made of multiple modified bony parts."

The couple walked around the zoo and stopped at each exhibit, Maura pleased that Jane was clearly having a good time, and saved the lions for last. When they approached the lion area, a man about their age smiled brightly and headed toward them. "Maura, hey! This must be Jane." He held out his hand for the brunette. "I'm Sam."

Jane smiled kindly. "Hello, Sam. It's nice to meet you." She said as she took his hand and shook it.

"How would you like to play with a lion? A cub that is. He's just old enough to take away from Mama for a bit and still young enough not to be any real danger."

The soldier's eyes widened. "Really? No joke? Well I would be stupid to turn down an offer like that." She grinned then looked over at her blonde goddess. "You set this up didn't you?"

"Well, you said you wanted to go to Africa and play with the lions. I couldn't take you to Africa, but I figured I could bring a piece of it to you." Maura smiled.

Jane looked at Maura lovingly for a few seconds before pulling her close and kissing her lips. "Thank you." With a kiss to her forehead she squeezed the doctor's hand and followed Sam to the back of the area.

"You ladies just wait here for a minute. I'll go get Benji." Sam was true to his word and only disappeared for a moment before walking back out with a lion cub in his arms, setting the little guy down in an area surrounded by a short fence. "He's a playful little guy, but if he gets too rough, I want you to let me know right away. You'll likely just walk away with a few scratches." He grinned.

The brunette grinned. "Nothing's too rough for me." She chuckled and stepped into the pen with Benji. Going down on her knees she sat still and let the cub sniff her out and gain trust. Once that was accomplished, she reached a hand out and stroked his back. "Never in my life did I think I would be petting a lion." Jane smirked then looked up at Maura.

Maura smiled at Jane affectionately and stepped into the fenced in area to take a seat across from her, Indian style. "I feel pretty accomplished if I can make you even just a little more adventurous." She replied, truly having just done it so she could see that smile on Jane's face.

Jane smirked. "There's not a lot I haven't done but you seemed to take one of very few things and make it happen. I gladly owe you now." She grinned then rolled the ball across the ground to Maura, the lion cub chasing it clumsily.

The cub slid into Maura who chuckled and slowly reached out to stroke his back. He rubbed up against her like a house cat and then ran after his ball again as it began to roll off to the side. "You don't owe me, Jane. You've already knocked three things off my list plus done much more." She smiled tenderly.

She reached over and started scratching Benji's belly and just like a dog, his leg started thumping. "Well at least let me thank you tonight." She winked. "Then tomorrow... I'll set up an appointment someone to go cage diving with sharks."

"In that case, you can thank me every night." Maura smirked. "And you really don't have to, but if you can find someone to take us diving with sharks, I'll be very impressed."

They played with the cub for about an hour before Sam had to take Benji back in with his mother. "Did you have fun?" Maura asked, moving closer to the brunette.

"I did, baby." Pulling Maura close as they stood beside the truck, she kissed her deeply, pressing the blonde against the metal door. She was falling for this woman more and more every second.

Maura wrapped her arms around Jane as she closed her eyes and kissed the brunette back just as deeply. The former soldier was quickly becoming the center of her world. She wanted nothing more than to make her happy. "How about we go get dinner and then you can thank me?" She grinned.

"I like that idea. However, dinner is on me." She smirked, moving her hands down to Maura's ass. "Where would you like to go?" Jane leaned closer and planted a few luring kisses to the doctor's neck.

"I'm really in the mood for Italian..." Maura smirked and then bit her lip. "But I'll settle for Savage Bob's since you really liked the bacon cheeseburger there. If you're going to pay, I want you to enjoy it."

Jane grinned. "Okay Savage Bob's it is, but you get to have your Italian dessert when we get home." With one more kiss, Jane opened the door for her lover then drove them to the diner.

"I can already tell dessert will be my favorite." Maura grinned. "And ironically the least fattening part of the meal."

The former soldier laughed and shook her head. "Agreed."

Parking, Jane went around and opened Maura's door and held her hand as they walked in and found a booth to sit in. "I remember what this place reminds me of. A place called the Dirty Robber back in Boston. It was a cop hang out and they had the best burgers.

Maura reached across the table and grabbed Jane's hand. "I know you went through some horrible things with the BPD but, do you ever miss it? Do you think you'd ever want to work as a police officer again?"

"I miss making a difference." Jane shrugged and squeezed Maura's hand. "But this is on the top of my list for favorite jobs."

"Only because I'm here." Maura teased with a grin and wink. "I know my father's really glad you happened upon us. And I'm obviously happy you did." She smiled softly.

"I'm really happy I came across this place too and I'm even more happy you broke up with 'what's his face'." She grinned and kissed her knuckles.

Maura chuckled and squeezed Jane's hand before letting go to sit back and look at the menu. A young woman came up to their booth shortly later, setting a card with her name down on the table. "Hi, I'm Sarah. I'll be your waitress. What can I get ya guys to drink?"

XxX

A month and a half had passed and Jane did indeed take Maura diving with sharks. Tonight she was taking Maura to dinner to tell the woman something that was pretty important. Maybe not over dinner but on their walk afterward.

Walking into Maura's favorite restaurant, they sat down and ate. Jane of course paid then took the blonde's hand and started walking down the street, lit by street lights.

"Dinner was great tonight. Thank you." Maura glanced over at her girlfriend and smiled, intertwining their fingers and giving Jane's hand a gentle squeeze.

Jane smiled sweetly. "You're welcome. Thank you for being you. For making me happy just by wanting to be with me."

"Well, I love being with you." Maura stopped walking and waited until Jane had turned to face her with a questioning gaze before speaking again, her eyes locking on chocolate orbs. "I love you, Jane."

Jane's heart stopped but a grin spread across her features. "Look at you beating me to the punch tonight." She pulled the blonde close. "I love you too, Maura. So much."

Maura smiled and kissed Jane. Softly at first, slowly deepening it before resting her forehead against the brunette's afterwards. "I've never felt the way I feel about you towards anyone else."

"Me either, sweetie. I want you in my arms, always." She moved her hand up Maura's back and buried it in the back of her blonde hair.

Maura pulled back just enough to look into Jane's eyes. "Then you'll just have to stay here with me always."

**D'awwww FLUFFY!**

**Reviews are newborn puppies!**


	7. Chapter 7

Standing in the kitchen after a long day of hard work. She figured she would make dinner for the woman she loved more than anything in the world. It was nice and quite in the house. Everyone was either working or shopping. After stirring the pot of noodles, she went to the pantry to retrieve pasta sauce, not hearing anyone come into the house.

Maura could smell the dinner Jane was making as soon as she stepped into the house. It immediately brought a smile to her face and she quietly made her way into the kitchen. Spotting Jane standing at the pantry, the veterinarian came up behind her and wrapped her arms around the brunette's midsection, resting her cheek against her shoulder.

Not anticipating someone coming up behind her, her PTSD kicked in and Jane's mind immediately went back to her days in the war. Turning in Maura's arms quickly she gripped the woman's throat and slammed her against the wall. Her free hand reached back and pulled out a gun she thought was there. Her mind saw it but in reality nothing was in her hand. Instead her fingers went into the shape of a pistol and pressed them right against Maura's stomach. "You killed him you bastard! You killed Johnny but you wont get me!"

Maura gasped and grabbed onto Jane's arm, trying to pull it away from her neck. The former soldier was stronger than she was, and clearly in a past time in her life. "Jane, it's Maura. Please stop." She whimpered in pain when Jane squeezed a bit tighter. "I'm not going to hurt you!" She cried out, Jake hearing the commotion and running into the kitchen.

He grabbed onto Jane's pant leg and began tugging roughly, trying to get her away from the doctor.

Feeling the jerking motions at her pants she looked down and furrowed her brows. "Jake! What are you doing?!" She moved her 'gun' under Maura's chin then looked back at her. That was when her mind came back and she saw exactly who she was doing this too. "Maura?" Jane backed off quickly, Jake moved between them and growled softly at his partner. "Oh god... Maura. I'm so so sorry..." Tears came to her eyes as she backed towards the door, shaking.

Maura gasped for air and moved a hand to her throat, rubbing it gently. Her body was trembling, and once she'd calmed down enough, she looked over at Jane, who appeared ready to bolt out the door. "Jane, wait, it's okay. I know that wasn't you. Now. That you were somewhere else."

Jane couldn't look at her. Her breathing quick and eyes looking down. "I-I hurt you. How can that be okay?"

Maura took a step closer to Jane but was wary about getting too close. More for Jane's sake than her own because she didn't want her to take off. "You'd mentioned to me once that people sneaking up on you was a trigger. I'm the one who forgot. I know you didn't mean to hurt me."

"I have a lot of triggers, Maura... If I continue to be around you like this you're more than likely to hit more and I'll turn on you again. Hurt you or worse. Jake may not always be here to pull me off." Looking up finally Jane's eyes landed on Maura's throat, a bruise forming. "It's selfish of me to think I can have a real relationship with you. Maura, I love you but I don't want to hurt you again." She looked away and opened the door. "I have to go."

"Wait." Maura moved to push the door closed, her body angled towards the former soldier. "We already have a real relationship, Jane. We've gone two months without any incidents." She tilted her head so she could look into Jane's downcast eyes. "I've invested too much in us to just let you go."

Jane shook her head and stepped closer to Maura, kissing her forehead, cheek then her lips slowly. "I love you so much. So very much, Maura." She pulled back and looked to Jake. He seemed to know what was going on. "Give me time to trust myself again..."

"I'll give you whatever you need." Maura said and stepped away from the door, knowing Jane had just broken up with her. In a roundabout way. "I love you." She said softly, glancing down at the floor before squatting down so Jake could come over to her. "I love you too, Jake."

Jane sighed softly. "I love you too. I'll be around if you need me. I'm not going anywhere." She looked down at Jake as he licked Maura's cheek. "Stay." She told him then walked out of the house.

Maura sat down on the floor and leaned against a wall, Jake lying down next to her and resting his head in her lap. She wiped at the tears threatening to fall ferociously and then pet the top of Jake's head. "She'll be back. For both of us."

Jane beat herself up for the rest of the day and night. She couldn't believe she put her hands on Maura in that way. Walking back into the house around 11pm she walked up the stairs toward her room.

Ryan noticed this as he sat in the study reading his book. He had saw bruises on his daughter's neck and started to put two and two together.

There was a light tapping on Jane's bedroom door, Ryan's deep voice not far behind it. "Jane, is everything alright?" Maura hadn't told him anything, just moped around until she disappeared to her cabin. He was worried. About both of them.

Jane was silent for a moment before she decided to open the door to look Maura's father in the eye. "No, sir. I had a episode today and ended up hurting Maura. I'm staying away from her for a while. I don't want to risk hurting her again." She looked down, ashamed of herself.

"You were in the army, sir? You've never mentioned it before." Jane said looking back into his eyes.

"I'm proud to have served my country. I am. But it's a time I don't like to think about." Ryan said solemnly. "I lost some of my closest friends overseas, and when I came back, my marriage became strained. Maura was only four or five at the time, but even she knew something was wrong with daddy."

"I know what you mean. Things go on in the Army that men and women should never have to see or go through. It messes ya up for a lifetime." She sighed. "If you don't mind me asking, where is your wife?"

"She passed away a couple of years ago. I think that's part of the reason Maura stuck around. She didn't want me to be alone." He smiled softly.

"Maura's such a wonderful person. She deserves someone better than me."

"She wants you, Jane. Maybe if you got some help you'd feel more comfortable around her." He set a hand on Jane's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "Maybe you'd worry less."

Jane nodded. "I want her. I want to be the person she deserves. Can you get me your guy's number and I'll call him?" She asked.

Ryan nodded. "Absolutely." He stepped back and pointed over his shoulder at the staircase. "Come on. It's down in my office somewhere. You can help me look for it."

"I uh... okay." She followed him. "You don't have to look for it now. It can wait until tomorrow."

"I've got nothing better to do. I was just watching some God awful reality show cause nothing else was on. I don't know what kids' fascination is with those shows these days." He chuckled and led the way downstairs.

"I can't tell you the last time I watched TV." Jane chuckled and walked into his office with him and started helping Ryan look for Dr. Rumbert's number.

Ryan paused his search when he came upon a photo, turning to hand it to Jane. "That's Maura's mother. She was tough on her, but she was still a wonderful woman." It was a photo of the three of them, when the veterinarian was a teenager.

Jane reached for the photo and smiled softly. "Wow. She was beautiful. Maura definitely got her looks from her." She joked. "Well the two of you certainly raised a great girl."

Ryan laughed and took the photo back, looking it over for a moment before setting it back in a drawer. "Maura was the best thing to ever happen to us." He spotted something in his drawer and reached for it. "Here it is. Dr. Rumbert's number." He smiled and gave it over.

"I know the feeling." Jane smiled then took the number. "Ah, thanks. I'll call him in the morning. Thanks."

"You're welcome." Ryan smiled. "You have a lot more to work through than I did, but Rumbert's good at what he does. Just let me know if you need anything, Jane."

"I will. Thank you." She smiled then made her way out of his office, up the stairs and into her bedroom. It felt odd without Jake in there but she knew he was where he was needed. With Maura. Falling backward on her bed, Jane pulled her cell out and texted the blonde. "I love you, beautiful."

"Then why don't you come over here and be with Jake and I?" Maura text back.

There was silence on Jane's end. She put her cell down and thought about it. What if something set her off again. It took a long while for Jane to get up and make the trek across the ranch to the cabin. Checking the door, she found it unlocked and silently walked in, closed and locked the door then made her way to the bedroom. She found Maura asleep, cuddling up with Jake. Lifting the covers, Jane slid in behind Maura and spooned her.

Jake was the first to wake. He lifted his head and began to growl before realizing it was Jane. Then he moved to hop down off the bed, running around to jump up behind the formal soldier and set his muzzle on her shoulder.

Maura opened her eyes shortly after and rolled to face Jane, kissing her lightly. "You came."

"I love you, too. I can help you through this, Jane. You just can't give up on us. I know we belong together." Maura whispered against her lips.

"We do belong together that's why I'm getting help from your father's therapist, Dr. Rumbert. I'm going to call him tomorrow and set up an appointment for sometime this week."

"So Dad told you about Dr. Rumbert. Good. He might be able to really help you." Maura said softly and kissed Jane's forehead.

"I hope so... before I do anything else to hurt someone."

XxX

"So, Jane, tell me about your time in the military. When did you first encounter warfare?" Dr. Rumbert asked. It was a Thursday afternoon, Jane's first session, and they were sitting in his office, right across from each other.

"We trained for a month then went out to the front lines. Guerrilla warfare." Jane was uncomfortable sitting in the chair and talking to a shrink but she was doing this for Maura.

"What was your role at that time?" Rumbert asked softly. He could tell Jane was hesitant, reluctant to talk. He had to peel through the layers.

"I uh.. I was tracking. I tracked them then me and my team either took hostages or... we didn't and we killed the enemy. I had two partners that I relied on the most. Jake my K-9 and Johnny. He was my best friend."

"What happened to Jake and Johnny?" Rumbert asked, sitting back in his chair and crossing one leg over the other.

"Jake is fine. Johnny was killed in front of me." Jane really didn't want to tell the story."

"I'm sorry to hear about Johnny. Is Jake still with you?" He tried to keep the conversation from getting too heavy to soon.

"Yes, he's still with me. We both received purple hearts. He had a broken leg, I was shot in the gut." She shrugged.

"It sounds like he's been your companion for a long while then. Now tell me about your life after the war. What did you do immediately after and how has life changed since you came here."

"He has. He's not a dog. Jake is my brother." Taking a deep breath she sighed. "After I healed, he and I went out on foot and started traveling the country. We've been to many places but this was our last stop. We came across Ryan's ranch and I fell in love with his daughter." Jane looked down. "She's why I'm here right now. I... I hurt her yesterday. I had an episode."

"What happened during this episode? What triggered it and how did you hurt her, Jane?" He asked.

"I thought I was alone and she came up behind me, wrapped her arms around me and a flipped out. I went back to the war and I remember having a gun and my arm over her throat. I saw her as the enemy. It was even her. Hell, I didn't even have a gun but... I bruised Maura up pretty good."

"So someone coming up behind you is a trigger. What else triggers the flashbacks? How often have you had episodes since coming back to the US?" Rumbert was scribbling down notes as he spoke.

"Gunshots, or even a car backfiring. I've had a few episodes. Most started when I started traveling. My second and fourth job fired me because of it."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Let's get back to Johnny. You said he was killed in action. What happened?"

Jane shook her head and leaned forward her arms resting on her knees. "I was tracking that day. He fell behind and I didn't know it. He went through another path and ended up getting caught in a bear trap, set up to catch us. Hearing his scream of pain and agony, I ran back as fast as I could, Jake in front of me." We just weren't fast enough. They waited for us. One came out of no where and used a crowbar on Jake then came back and hit me in the back of the knees and disarmed. I was made to watch them slit Johnny's throat."

"That's a horrible thing to witness. Something that'll stick with you for the rest of your life. But it sounds like you blame yourself." Rumbert leaned forward a bit, looking right at Jane. "It wasn't your fault. I'm sorry for your loss but you couldn't save him."

"No, I coulda saved him. I coulda made sure he was still behind me instead of just wanting to get to the other side as fast as we could. Johnny was a great man that didn't deserve to bleed to death, alone in the woods!" She stood up, suddenly. "His death was my fault!"

"There's no way you could've stopped those men by yourself. Just you and Jake." He said calmly. "And he didn't die alone, Jane. You were there with him. As horrible as it was, you were still there. He probably knew how much you cared."

"No, dammit! They slit his throat, shoved him to the ground and took Jake and I away while he was dying." She shook her head. "This isn't helping at all, you're just making me hate myself more." Jane said through gritted teeth before going for the door and storming out.

Rumbert took a deep breath and let it out slowly but didn't give chase. Many of his new patients were the same way. They just needed some time to adjust to the therapy process.

XxX

Jane came back to the ranch and started hacking away at logs for firewood. It was summer still but it was a good way to get stress and anger out.

Maura walked up to Jane, making sure to make plenty of noise this time, and stopped a few feet away to watch. "Tough session, hmm?"

"Yeah it made me..." She stopped talking for a moment. "It was fine." CHOP! Jane set another log up on the stump and threw the ax over her shoulders then came down with it, chopping it in half.

Maura took a deep breath and released it slowly, doing her best to keep her tone steady. "We don't have to talk about it right now. But it is burning up out here. How about we go inside and get you hydrated?"

Jane swung the ax in the air once again and slammed it into the stump. Gripping the end of the handle tightly she breathed to calm herself. She slowly looked at Maura, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Alright... just uh... keep your distance."

"Okay." Maura said softly. "I can do that." She began to head for the house, stopping to turn and face Jane about halfway to the front door. "Just give it some time. It'll get better."

"Lets hope." She sighed softly and walked into the kitchen with her. Grabbing a bottle of water she moved to the other end of the kitchen and drank half the bottle then poured some in her hand and rubbed it on her chest and did the same thing for the back of her neck and arms.

Maura crossed her arms and leaned against one of the counter tops, watching Jane as she tried to cool off. The former soldier was drenched in perspiration from working so hard out in the sun, and those biceps were looking even more toned. Maura shook her head as she looked away, trying to focus on anything else. "A wet cloth for your neck would be good."

"Nah, I'm okay." Jane ran some over her face then lifted the bottom of her shirt, fanning her core body.

Maura nibbled on her bottom lip for a moment, trying to avert her eyes from those perfect abs. "Are you hungry or anything?"

Jane shook her head. "No, I really should give Jake a bath. I shouldn't be around you anyway when I'm like this. It only increases the risk of hurting you. Again."

Maura moved into Jane's personal space then, her hazel eyes meeting Jane's chocolate. "You would never hurt me just because your agitated. You only did so the first time because you were having a flashback. I'm not afraid of you, Jane."

"You should be. I'm unpredictable. Violently unpredictable." She set her water bottle down on the counter. "When I'm pissed off, the flashbacks can come easier."

"Well I didn't sneak up on you." Maura set her hands on Jane's waist. "And my father doesn't allow any guns on the ranch." She leaned in closer so her lips brushed against the brunette's neck. "And we're all alone so there won't be any trucks backfiring." She moved so that her lips were only a hair's breadth from Jane's. "There isn't anything right now to trigger a flashback."

Jane's breath hitched, feeling Maura's lips on her neck and own set of lips. "Mm all alone huh? Well, I think you should play doctor and relieve me of my stress." She whispered, slowly moving her hands up her girlfriend's arms. "What do ya think?"

"Well studies have shown that sex releases endorphins that help battle stress by producing pleasurable sensations." Maura smirked. "So yes, I think I can help you relieve your stress."

"Good." She whispered before leaning down and kissing the bruises on her neck and throat lightly. "How long are we going to be alone for?"

Maura tilted her head to the side and closed her eyes at the tender gesture. "For at least an hour. Probably closer to two."

"Perfect." She whispered before capturing her lips and pulling her closer than before.

Maura backed Jane up against the counter and tugged her tank off before kissing her again deeply, gentle hands making their way up a fit torso to rest on the sides of Jane's neck.

Jane moved her hands down Maura's back and slipped them down the back of her slacks, gripping the woman's firm ass. Lifting her up, she set Maura down on the island counter then pulled her pants all the way down.

Maura moaned upon feeling Jane's rough hands on her smooth skin and spread her legs for the former soldier, unbuttoning her shirt slowly to give her a bit of a show.

Jane bit her lip back and moaned softly. "Have I told you how beautiful you are?"

"I think the word 'goddess' has escaped your lips a couple of times." Maura smirked.

Jane grinned. "Mmhm and I'm still sticking to that."

Maura finished unbuttoning her shirt, slipped it off her shoulders and tossed it aside. "Then why don't you come over here and worship your goddess?"

With a soft moan, Jane stepped forward and and pressed her lips to Maura's chest. Moving a hand up she pulled a cup down, and releasing her right breast. In just a breath, the soldier took a perky nipple in her mouth and sucked hard.

Maura moaned throatily and pushed her chest out more, biting her lip as she reached behind herself to unclasp her bra and let it drop. She ran her fingers through Jane's long hair and fisted a handful of it.

Jane worshiped and cherished her goddess in the kitchen. Sitting on the floor, Maura in her arms, Jane's fingertips moved up and down Maura's abdomen. "You know, you look really sexy with your shirt on and completely unbuttoned. Make sure I'm the only one that ever sees you like this." She smirked.

"Oh you will be. I'm all yours, Jane." Maura titled her chin up and kissed Jane softly. "And you can argue with me if you want but, you're coming to my cabin tonight and sleeping in bed with Jake and I."

"Oh I am huh?" Jane smiled and nodded. "Alright, I can do that." She leaned down and kissed her again. "How about we do that collaboration with dinner tonight?"

"I have a couple of recipes already in mind." Maura smiled and squeezed Jane a little tighter, resting her cheek against her chest.

"Okay.. but I don't really wanna move at the moment." Jane chuckled and kissed her head. "I don't know how I got so lucky in finding you."

"The way I see it I'm the lucky one. This ranch has been changed for the better because of you."

"Seems we are both very lucky to have found each other and I won't ever let you go."

**Wow that was a rollercoaster, huh? **

**Review, we would love to hear your input.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry about the delay but here is the newest chapter :)**

There was word about a wild stallion on the outskirts of the property. Who better to send out and look for him? Jane and Brock. Mounting two horses, the pair started out to survey the area.

"Have you ever trained a wild horse before?" the brunette asked.

"Once." Brock nodded. "A couple years back." He pulled the reins on his horse atop a hill, near a patch of woods, and began to scour the landscape.

"Bet it was challenging."  
Little did they know there was a couple hunters right past the ranch. Hunting anything that moved.

"Just a wee bit." He chuckled and climbed down off of his horse, pulling a canteen out from his saddle bag. "I'm not seeing him. I vote we take a short break." Brock handed the water over to Jane after he'd taken a swig and she'd slid down from her horse.

Jane took the water, gratefully and swallowed two gulps. Wiping her mouth, she closed her eyes, enjoying the coolness of it.

Then a gun shot rang out.

And in that split second, Jane became the soldier she once was and Brock became her enemy. She threw the canteen at his head. "You poisoned it!" She screamed and lunged at the farm hand, tackling him to the ground. Fists flying.

Brock hollered and tried to grab a hold of Jane's wrists, to cease the assault. But the way she was going at him, all he could really do is hold up his hands to try and soften the blows. "Jane, please, stop!"

"How do you know my name!?" She gripped his wrists and slammed them on the grass above his head.

"We're-we're friends. I'm not a soldier. We're not on a battlefield. We're on Ryan's ranch. Please?" He begged. "Please let me go, Jane."

Maura was tending to one of the horses when she heard the gun shot. Throwing some reins on one of the steeds, she rode bareback up to the hill to save time, Jake running alongside her. "Jane!" The veterinarian slid off her horse and ran over to where the two were on the ground, Brock still taking a beating.

Jake charged at his partner and tackled Jane to the ground, standing over the brunette and giving Brock time to get up and try to recover.

Pushing the dog off of her, the soldier got up quickly and looked at both Maura and the man that was bleeding.

Maura had taken Brock's chin in her hand gently, visually assessing his wounds. Her eyes fell on Jane when she realized the woman was still in army mode. "Jane..." She put her hands up. "Just take it easy. We're not going to hurt you."

"You don't get to talk..." Jane snapped and shoved Maura against the side of the horse and gripped her throat. "You get to die!"

The horse spooked and started to take off, kicking up in the process. One moment Maura was trying to fight off Jane, the next she was hitting the ground, Brock screaming her name.

Brock pulled Jane off of Maura and threw her back and poured water on her face quickly. Luckily enough, it worked and snapped the soldier out of her trance. "Brock...?"

The ranch hand's face was bloody, his nose clearly broken, but he pointed down to Maura. "Call for help. Now." He knelt down next to the unconscious blonde, pulling a rag from his back pocket and applying pressure to the side of her head.

Jane scrambled up, pulling out her cell. "Oh god... I did that didn't I?" Tears were in her eyes as she dialed 9-1-1. Kneeling beside Maura, she spoke to dispatch and told them to send an ambulance.

Jake sat at Maura's head and licked her forehead and cheek, trying to heal her.

"The horse. I-it kicked her in the head." Brock's voice was shaky, the normally tough cowboy clearly on the verge of tears. "But if you hadn't grabbed a hold of her, spooked the horse, it wouldn't have happened." He hissed as he looked from Maura to the former soldier.

The brunette looked at him, finally noticing his face. "And I did that to you. Brock, I'm so sorry." Tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Just go." He said, looking down at the blonde. "Someone needs to let the EMTs know we're up here. I need you to go greet them."

Jane sniffed and mounted her horse, taking off towards the ranch house. She waited for the EMTs and the moment they got there she had them follow her towards Maura and Brock.

They got Maura loaded up and took a look at Brock's face, the ranch hand calling Ryan as soon as they were done, informing him that there'd been an "accident" and that he needed to head to the hospital. Then Brock walked past Jane to head to his truck.

Jane stayed behind. She didn't belong at the hospital. She knew she belonged in a psych ward.

Mason had seen the ambulance and in his anger, Brock told him what happened.

The jockey agent marched right up to Jane and shoved her. "You bitch! You try to make me look like an abusive son of a bitch and you're the one smacking Maura around!"

Jane shook her head. "It's not like that, Mason. I don't know when I do this. I suffer from PTSD." She tried to make him understand.

"I don't care! You're still a danger to Maura and she deserves better. What if she doesn't wake up from this? Hmm?" He spat.

"I know." She looked down and shook her head and walked passed him with Jake by her side.

Jake nuzzled Jane's hand as soon as they'd stopped, standing on the outskirts of the ranch, alone. He whimpered a little as he tried to get her attention. Worried about his partner and the woman she loved.

Jane went to her knees and brought her arms around his neck, crying. "What am I going to do?"

Jake sat on his hunches and licked at Jane's tears.

When Maura opened her eyes, Ryan was the first thing she saw. "Dad?" She blinked a few times and rubbed her head. "What happened?"

Taking a deep, calming breath Ryan let it out before answering. "Jane is what happened, Maura. According to Brock, which is still getting treatment himself, she attacked him, you came to help then she attacked you, causing the horse to kick you in the head."

Maura closed her eyes and rubbed her temple, her head still killing her. "The horse incident could've happened even without Jane's influence. It was a freak accident. And she's getting help for her PTSD."

"It doesn't erase the fact she attacked you and beat the crap outta Brock. I know she has PTSD and I sent her to my doctor... but he told me this morning that Jane hadn't been back since the first session."

Maura opened her eyes and looked at her father, sighing. "I knew that the first session hadn't gone well. But I didn't know she'd stopped completely."

"I didn't either. He told me she left angry, saying that it was her fault." He sighed. "I think you need to stay away from her for a while."

"I can't just give up on her." Maura shook her head. "I don't know Jane's whole story, but I do know that all she has left is a family all the way in Boston and Jake. I love her. I want to help her through this."

"I know she doesn't mean to hurt you but what happens if she does it again? She can't keep doing this, sweetie."

"I'll just have to talk her into going back to therapy." Maura laid her head back and closed her eyes again. "How soon before I can go home?"

"A couple of days. They want to make sure the horse didn't do any further damage." Ryan leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Rest, babe. I love you." Her father smiled then stood straight and headed for the door.

Maura took a deep breath in slowly and let it out, left to wonder whether Jane had stayed away due to requests from her family and friends or if the former soldier felt too much guilt to be in her presence or if it was something else completely. She turned her head and stared out the window, alone.

A day and a half had gone by and Jane went late enough to have a feeling Maura was asleep. What she had hoped for. Walking into the room quietly she sat down. "I love you, Maur. So much and what I keep doing to you and what I've done to Brock... I can't forgive myself" the soldier whispered. "I'm going to stay away. I'll still be at the ranch to work but, I'm moving out. I'm going to do my job and go to where ever it is I'm staying and that'll be my day. You deserve so much better than me... The one wise thing Mason has ever said." Jane sighed and looked down at her scarred hands.

Maura reached out and placed her hand on top of Jane's, giving it a little squeeze. "Mason's an idiot." When Jane looked up, Maura was looking right at her. "And since you're unable to forgive yourself, I'll just have to forgive you enough for two."

Seeing Maura awake, Jane stood up and backed away toward the door. Afraid something may trigger her again. "You can forgive me all you want, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm a danger to you and everyone else." She leaned against the door frame, tears filling her eyes.

Maura sat up and leaned against her pile of pillows, a bit paler than normal and some bed head going on. "What happened with the horse was a freak accident. But you do need to get help with the PTSD, Jane. Why'd you stop going to therapy?" She asked softly.

The former soldier looked down. "He had me tell the story about Johnny... It's a touchy subject for me. I hate when people try to tell me something isn't my fault when I know damn well it is. Therapy doesn't help me, it just makes me feel worse."

"I don't know who Johnny is, and I'm sorry if it's tough for you to talk about, but you have to do something. You have to talk to someone because it's not going to get better unless you do."

Jane nodded and rested her head against he metal. "Johnny was my best friend and brother in the war." She sighed. "I'll go back... but I'm keeping my distance from you and everyone else." The brunette looked down at her scabbed knuckles..

Maura was silent for a moment. Obviously Johnny was dead, and obviously he had meant a lot to Jane. She swallowed the lump in her throat and wet her lips. "I know you want to keep me safe, but I don't know if cutting contact off is the best idea right now."

"Why? It's better than putting you at risk. Maura... Because of me you're in that bed. Because of me you have a new bruise around your throat. And because of me, Brock is beat up and not talking to me. What if I turn on your father? Or one of the other farm hands? I'm keeping a low profile until I'm fixed... if that's even possible."

"You could have an episode while working just as easily as you could have one just spending an afternoon with me." Maura replied. "Maybe you should take some time off, get the help you need. I know my father would be willing to help you out in any way he could."

"At least while I'm working alone I won't be around anyone I could hurt." She sighed then nodded. "I'll talk to him and see what I can do."

Maura nodded and looked down at her covered legs, playing with a loose thread. "Okay."

"I love you... just don't forget that okay."

Maura glanced up at Jane then. "I know. I love you, too."

With that Jane left the hospital room and didn't look back. She showed up an hour later on Dr. Rumbert's office doorstep and walked in. "Doc, I need your help..."

"I'm glad to see you again, Jane. We still have a lot to chat about." He gestured to an empty chair and then stood to walk around his desk, taking a seat across from it with notepad in hand.

Jane sat down and was silent for a long moment. Hands clasped in her lap taking slow breaths. "I- uh- I attacked my friend and Maura again..."

xXx

When Maura got home from the hospital, Brock and Jett were waiting for her with some dinner and dessert they'd cooked up themselves. Brock pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back gently. "It's good to have you back. You had me worried there for a bit."  
She smiled as she stepped back. "Thanks. I feel great, though."

Jett smiled and started making Maura's plate up then set it down on the table. "C'mon, we slaved over the stove all day. Time to eat."

He and Brock turned their heads when creeky stairs gave away Jane's moments.

She was walking down with two suit cases but stopped at the bottom, looking right at Maura. "Uh, hey. Glad to see you home." She smiled weakly then started to walk past them with Jake trailing behind her.

Maura flashed the boys a small smile and held up an index finger before walking over to Jane quickly, gently taking hold of her forearm before she could walk out the door. "Wait. Where do you plan to go?"

"There's a hotel a couple of miles down..." Jane spoke but didn't look at the blonde.

"Alright." Maura said a little dejectedly and let go of Jane's arm. "If you need anything, I'm still here."

"I know... I'll be at work in the morning." Jane then walked out the front door and looked back to call Jake to her side.

The German Shepherd whimpered and sat at Maura's feet, begging Jane to stay.

With a defeated sigh, Jane closed the door and left the house.

Maura took a deep breath, staving off her tears. The vet knelt down next to Jake, wrapping her arms around him for a hug. "She'll be back for you tomorrow. I'm not quite sure what OUR future holds yet."

Jake turned his head and licked her cheek three times then looked back at the door and whined softly.

Maura stood and rubbed his head before heading into the kitchen, Jett sheepishly looking up from where he'd been staring at the table, Brock sighing. "She hurt you, Maura. I don't know why you're so mopey over her."

"And I don't get why you aren't being more understanding considering you were her closest friend here." Maura snapped and started to head for the front door.

"Hey, what about dinner!?" Jett yelled out.

"I'm not hungry anymore." Maura called back, Jake following her out the door before it slammed.

Jane had just gotten to the dirt road that ran passed the ranch when she heard the door slam shut. Tears had been falling from her eyes the moment she left Maura and Jake behind. She was hoping no one was trying to catch up to her.

Maura stopped, her shoulders slumping, and turned to face him slowly. "I'm fine. It was just a nasty concussion. No lasting damage."

He shook his head. "She should be in prison, Maura. She shouldn't be able to walk free."

"She has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Mason." Maura replied harshly, her hands on her hips. "What's your excuse for being an ass, hmm?"

"I don't give a shit what she has. There are ways to control it. I'm an ass but Jane is trying to kill you apparently."

"She's trying to control it. She's getting help. Just leave it alone." Maura rolled her eyes and turned to walk away.

"Nah, I don't think I will." His jaw clenched then walked off toward his truck. He knew how he was going to make Jane pay.

Maura stopped and spun to face him. "Whatever you're thinking about doing, don't!" She called out.

Xxx

Jane walked to the ranch the next morning, Jake right beside her. There was a bowl of dog food at the entrance of the stables and of course that preoccupied Jake to the fullest extent while Jane went to Derecho's stall.

"Did ya really think you'd be able to avoid everyone?" Jett suddenly appeared, peering over the stall from the one next to it. The dark haired cowboy flashed a boyish smile. "I've already washed Derecho down so no need to give him a bath, Rizz. Just a heads up."

Jane jumped slightly and sighed softly. "I'm trying to avoid everyone." She opened up the stall and walked in, petting the horse's muzzle then kissing his brow.

"Day 1 and you've already run into someone else. You kinda suck at it." Jett chuckled and disappeared, getting back to work on brushing down Legend.

Jane didn't respond and took a few more minutes with Derecho before leaving his stall and locking it up. She found it odd that Jake hadn't finished up eating and joined her. Usually he scarfs food down. "Jake?" Jane called out and got a moment of silence then a whimper in return. "Jake?" She questioned then jogged out of the stables and found her dog laying down beside a half eaten bowl of food. "Jake!" Going down to her knees she ran her hand over his side and could feel how tight his stomach was. "Shit..." Running to Jett she slung open the door. "Gimme your keys!" She held her hand out. "Hurry!"

"What? Why?" He furrowed his brows and dug in his pocket for a moment before handing her his keys. "What happened?"  
He followed Jane out to Jake, who had just vomited and was shaking. "Oh man."

Jane grabbed the keys quickly and ran to the German Shepherd. "I think someone poisoned him..." She took a deep breath then picked her dog up. "Hang on, buddy." Jogging to the work truck, Jane opened the door put him in the passenger seat then got in on her side and took off toward Maura's clinic.

Busting through the doors with Jake in her arms, limp, she stormed up to the front counter. "I need Dr. Isles now! Please!"

"Ma'am you can't just see the doctor, you have to fill ou..."

"Does it look like he has time to wait?!" Jane snapped, turning to show the secretary the dog's face. "MAURA!" The soldier yelled as loud as she could several times, needing the blonde to hear her where ever she was.

Maura stepped out of one of the exam rooms, still pulling off a pair of gloves. "Jane, what..." The blonde's eyes immediately went to Jake and she quickly made her way over to them. "Follow me."  
She led them into another exam room, helping Jane get him onto the table before snapping on another set of gloves and moving to exam him. "How long has he been like this? Did you see what he got into?"

"Um about fifteen... twenty minutes now. Jake was fine until he ate a bowl of food that was right in front of the stables. He didn't even finish half of it before he was laying on the ground whimpering."

"It sounds like a poisoning of some sort. More than likely arsenic since it's easy to grab ahold of." Maura pressed on his stomach gently and then walked over to a cabinet to grab some supplies. "I'm going to need your help holding him down, Jane." She walked back over to them with some tubes and other equipment. "I need to do a gastric lavage to clear his stomach of any poisons."

Jane moved behind Jake and ran her hands over his side. "Is that going to hurt him?" She asked, concerned.

"It's going to be uncomfortable for him." Maura answered honestly, pulling up a tray next to her and getting things ready. Then, with Jane's assistance, she got the tube down Jake's throat and began the process.  
Once she was finished pumping his stomach, Maura gave Jake some medicine to help him get the rest of the poison out of his system and began to monitor his vitals. "I want to keep him for a couple of days. For observation."

Jane nodded and stroked Jake's head slowly. "Thank you, Maura." She whispered before kissing her dog's cheek.

"I promise you that I won't let anything happen to him. He's family." Maura said softly, running her hand down along his side.

"Who would want to poison him, Maura?" She asked slowly looking up at the blonde. Eyes full of undirected anger.

Maura was silent for a moment, her eyes still on Jake until she dragged them up to meet Jane's slowly. "Some arsenic may have accidentally gotten into his food. But if it was done intentionally, I can only think of one person who would ever hurt Jake..." Maura took a deep breath. "Mason."

Jane went stone cold. Her fingers stopped moving through his fur. She was going to kill Mason. "Take care of Jake." She whispered before moving toward the door of the exam room.

"Wait, Jane, take a moment to cool off." Maura was hot on her trail. "Don't go do something you regret. Mason isn't worth it."

Jane froze and stood, facing the door. "Maura... he has to pay for what he did to Jake. That soldier has been through enough, already." She said through her teeth.

I know." Maura moved so that she was standing in front of Jane, looking up at the former soldier."If he did this, he will pay, Jane. I just don't want you to get into a physical altercation with him and get in trouble."

"I don't care about getting in trouble Maura..." Jane looked down.

"Then fine. Go." Maura said cooly, stepping aside. "I'll watch over Jake."

"Thank you." She said then left the vet's office and went right for the ranch and up to Jett. "Tell me where Mason is living now. I know he's your friend. Tell me."

"Why? What'd he do?" Jett asked, wiping some sweat off his brow with the back of his arm. "How's Jake?"

"That bastard poisoned Jake." She started pacing. "Jake will be okay, thanks to Maura. But I've got a bone to pick with your boy."

"You sure he did it? Because he's gonna be stopping by in about an hour with a new jockey for Derecho."

"I'm pretty sure he is the only one that would want to hurt Jake because it would hurt me and I'll be right here waiting for him."

Jett nodded. "Okay... but if you get arrested, I don't have any money to bail ya out."

As stated, Mason arrived about an hour later with the new jockey, all grins and big talk as he showed off Derecho.

Jane allowed Mason to have a bit of glory before she stripped the manhood from him. Walking up behind the bastard, Jane stood silently behind him, arms crossed over her chest. Waiting.

The new jockey, Marco, noticed Jane before Mason did, tapping his shoulder and pointing back at her with his thumb. "I think she wants your attention."

Mason looked back and frowned. "What the hell do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?"

The former soldier wasn't a fan of disrespect. Grabbing a hold of the back of his collar she pulled him back then turned to face Mason. "Now you're busy with me. I know what you did and I'm gonna make you pay."

"Oh yeah?" He smirked arrogantly. "And what did I supposedly do? Besides bang an emotionally vulnerable Maura Isles last night."

"There was hurt that flashed in her eyes right before absolute anger and hate took over. With a swift punch to the jaw she gripped his shirt and slammed him against the nearest wooden fence. "You poisoned Jake!"

Mason was definitely stunned for a moment, but he rubbed his jaw and spat some blood from where he'd bitten his cheek hard with the punch. "He's just a mutt. Why so sensitive, big bad soldier?"

"So you did do it." She snarled her words. "He is a soldier. Have respect!"

"He's a dumb dog! I told you not to mess with me and Maura, Rizzoli. You didn't listen. Now I don't see Jake, Maura or Brock around anywhere. You're alone." He smirked. "Exactly what you deserve."

"A dumb dog? He's a helluva lot smarter than you are, Patsy." She tensed. "I deserve to be alone, I know that but while I am... I'm kicking your ass." With that, Jane kneed Mason right between the legs, punched his throat, then his gut, sending the fucker to the dirt below.

Mason was groaning in pain on the ground, Marco watching the two along with Jett. "Damn. You are awesome, woman." The jockey commented before squatting down next to Mason. "Find yourself another jockey. I don't want a complete and total prick as an agent."

Jane stood straight and smiled softly. She took Marco's arm gently. "Can we keep your number... I have a feeling Ryan will be doing away with Mason very soon and hopefully getting another agent to represent this place." The soldier cared about this place and Ryan's business and didn't want this disagreement to disrupt it.

"Great. Thanks... uh..."

"Jane Rizzoli." Jett cut in with a smile.

Marco nodded and grinned. "Thanks, Ms. Rizzoli. It was nice meeting you." He shook her hand and then turned to Jett. "Would you mind giving me a ride back? Since my ride is..." He glanced back at Mason, who was still laying on the ground, and laughed. "Down and out."

"Sure, man. C'mon." Jet smiled and took Marco to his truck and drove off leaving Jane standing over Mason. Squatting down beside him she narrowed her eyes.

"I should kill you for what you did."

"You've already put the woman you love into the hospital, I was expecting a lot worse, actually." Mason spat.

Jane balled up her fist and with one blow to the side of his face, she knocked him out. Standing up, her eyes fell on Ryan, standing at the front of the house with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Was that another episode or did he actually deserve that one? Because it wouldn't shock me either way." He said as he slowly made his way over to the former soldier, stopping to glance down at the agent who was out cold.

Jane took a deep breath. "He deserved it. Mason poisoned Jake..." She sighed. "Um... you may want to get another agent if you want Marco to race on Drecho, because he doesn't want a complete and total prick as an agent. In his words not mine."

"He did what to Jake!?" Ryan was visibly furious, his voice loud and his cheeks red. "He's just lucky he's already unconscious or I'd punch his lights out." He paused and took a deep breath. "Oh I'll find a new agent alright. I should've gotten rid of him when Maura did."

Jane nodded in agreement. "What do you wanna do with him now?"

"He can just stay where he lays. He'll come looking for me later, I'm sure. Then I get the pleasure of kicking him outta here." Ryan sighed. "How's Jake? Is he with Maura?"

"He'll be okay. Maura is keeping him for a couple days just to make sure." Jane stepped over Mason and walked to the house and sat on the front steps of the porch. "I don't think I'm going to be here much longer, Ryan."

"Why? Maura told me you were going back to therapy." Ryan commented as he walked over. "You just need to give things some time."

"I am but I just... I don't want to hurt Maura anymore. I don't wanna turn on her or anyone else again. I really should leave."

"Maybe you should just take the time to get beyond these episodes and then come back to work. You don't have to leave town to do that." He leaned against a column on the porch. "Maura would never just let you leave. You know that, right?"

"i'm leaving town. I don't know where I'm going but I'll get help there. Where no one knows me and wont judge me." Jane sighed. "That's why I'm not going to tell her I'm leaving. So please keep this conversation to yourself."

"I still consider you a friend, Jane, and I've never once judged you. Brock is just upset. He'll get over it. We're your friends here. And Maura... she's gonna be heartbroken." He held his head low. "Do you plan to come back?"

"I'll come back. I don't know when but I should come back... it may be years before I do, Ryan." She looked down and sighed. "I love your daughter... So much. I'm just a danger to her right now and if I end up hurting her again or worse... I don't know what I'll do."

"I agree that you and Maura need some time apart while you get better. It'd kill me if anything else happened to her." He sighed. "But it's gonna cut her deeply, emotionally, to lose you. Especially if it's for years."

"She'll have to understand that I'm doing this for her. It's all for her." Jane's voice cracked. Tears had weld up in her eyes. Looking up at him she stood. "I'll be here until Jake is better."

"Alright. I won't say anything to Maura. That's your business." Ryan pushed himself off his leaning spot and started to head for the front door before stopping and turning to Jane. "Make sure you come say bye before you go."

"I will." She smiled softly. "..and Ryan... Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome, Jane." He gave her a small smile. "I'm glad to have met you. You were a great addition to this ranch, to this family."

Jane nodded once and turned back around, elbows on her knees and thumbs at her lips, she thought. Thought about what she wanted to do and what she needed to do. Both were very different directions.

Maura got home late that evening. She had an assistant who worked nights who could watch over Jake. Just in case one of the animals ever needed her, Dr. Isles was always on call. Mason was sitting on her cabin porch when she arrived, the animal doctor dragging her feet, dreading any sort of conversation with him. "It's late, Mason. What do you want?"

"Look at my face Maura. That bitch needs to go to prison and I'm going to make sure she does!" He said standing up slowly, still a bit dizzy from the blows.

"You poisoned her dog, Mason. You'll receive charges, too. Possibly even more serious than Jane's." Maura crossed her arms. "She loves Jake. I love him and you tried to kill him. I'm honestly just disgusted with you right now."

"Can't prove that it was me." He smirked. "But anyway, I'm sure she's disgusted with you too."

"Why would she be disgusted with me?' Maura asked harshly. "And why don't you just drop this idea of pressing charges? Do you really want all your buddies and clients knowing you got the crap beat out of you by a girl?"

He shrugged. "I'll think about the charges but good luck erasing the hurt I saw in Jane's eyes when I told her we fucked last night when you was so emotionally stressed." Mason grinned.

Maura stepped into Mason's personal space then, getting in his face with a fierce look on her own. "If you don't get off my and my father's property right now, you're going to have another girl smacking you around."

"Bitch... you know I can handle you." He smirked then gripped her wrists tightly, slamming her into the front door. Holding her hands above her head, his free hand gripped her throat. "I think it's time I get what I want. Or at least part of it."

Jane had looked out when she saw headlights come into the property from her window, and was now currently watching Mason man handle Maura.

The doctor was, quite frankly, tired of being choked and pushed around. She brought a knee up between Mason's legs. Hard. And when he'd let go of her wrists to double over from the blow, she swung her fist as hard as she could at his face, shaking out her now pounding hand afterward.

Jane saw what happened and ran down the stairs and out of the house, toward Maura's.

"You fucking bitch!" Mason groaned and stood up. His fist balled up, he swung only for Maura to dodge, but with that miss, he came back with a back hand across her cheek.

Speeding up Jane lunged and tackled Mason to the ground, her bicep getting cut in the process.

"Get the fuck off me!" Mason struggled with the former soldier, eventually managing to shove her off. Then he scrambled to get up quickly, practically snarling at Jane. "Oh, so it's okay for you to slap her around but not for anyone else. I was teaching Maura here a lesson."

"The one that needs a lesson here is.." She gripped his throat and slammed his back into the colum. "you!" She shouted in his face. "Since apparently you didn't learn it the first time."

Mason pulled a knife then and held the tip of it to Jane's abdomen. "Let me go, bitch, or I'll use it and claim self-defense."

"Oh no you won't." Maura came up behind Jane and slapped the knife out of his hand. "I want you gone, Mason. Now."

Jane let him go, but blocked him from getting to Maura. "Bye, Patsy."

"This isn't over." Mason sneered and then bent over to grab his knife, shooting Maura a glare before jogging down the steps and heading for his truck.

The blonde sighed behind Jane and stepped back to lean against the front of her cabin, rubbing her cheek. "I didn't sleep with him."

Jane watched him leave then turned to face her girlfriend. "I know... " She stood only inches away from her, pressing her forehead against Maura's. " You okay?" The brunette asked, her hand trailing up her arm to rest on the side of Maura's neck. Her thumb stroking her delicate jaw.

"Yes." Maura said softly, gently grabbing onto the front of Jane's shirt before looking into her eyes. "Why don't you stay the night? You could go with me tomorrow to visit Jake. We could just talk."

"I was planning on inviting myself in anyway." She smiled and turned the knob to the side of Maura and opened the door. "C'mon sweetie."

Maura smiled softly and stepped inside, Jane right behind her. The veterinarian headed for the kitchen, grabbing a glass from the sink and pouring herself a bit of wine. Then she grabbed a beer for the soldier and walked back to the living room, handing it to her. "Jake was doing well before I left. He was a bit dehydrated from being sick, but we're getting some fluids in him."

"Thank you for saving him, Maura." She looked down at her bottle. "Anything ever happens to me, take care of him okay."

"I will. But nothing's going to happen to you." Maura set her glass down on the coffee table and stepped closer to Jane, wrapping her arms around her waist and resting her cheek against her shoulder. "You're safe here." The blonde meant it in a much deeper way than just physical.

Jane rested her chin on top of Maura's head and sighed softly. After a moment she pulled away. "Lets get you some ice, huh?" She suggested and went to the kitchen and filled a ziplock bag with ice and sat down on the couch with Maura, gently setting the bag on her cheek. "I almost killed him today."

Maura took hold of the bag and leaned back against the couch's cushions. "I worried about you all day. Mason deserved a good smack down for what he did to Jake, but I was afraid you'd end up in jail. Which he was clearly thinking about."

"It would have been worth it, honestly." Jane shrugged then leaned back with her. The soldier's arm rested on the back of the couch, behind Maura's shoulders. "So, Jake is still doing okay?"

Maura nodded. "I think Jake's going to make a full recovery. He's a tough guy. Plus, he's still got a lot to do. Bones to bury, bad guys to bite..." She smiled.

Jane chuckled and pulled Maura close to her side. "Thank you." Jane knew right then what she was going to do when the time came.

**Yet again... another rollercoaster lol**

**Let us know what you think.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the long break but we're back in action.**

**Enjoy.**

Maura and Jane had fallen asleep together on the couch, the blonde's body partially covering the brunette's when they awoke. As soon as they were showered and dressed, the two headed to the clinic together, the doctor leading the former soldier to where Jake was recovering.

Jane walked in and went right to Jake's cage and opened it up. Kneeling down, she gathered the war dog in her arms and hugged him. "Hey buddy." She kissed his head and smiled.

Jake licked Jane's cheek and then laid down in front of her, resting his head in her lap.

"He's still pretty worn out. Which is to be expected. I'd like to keep him one more day for observation." Maura said from behind Jane.

"That's fine. He deserves some rest." She smiled and stoked his back and head slowly. "I know with you he is in good hands."

Maura smiled and knelt down next to Jane to pet Jake gently. "The best. I'm good at what I do. Plus Jake is family. I'll be up front and admit he'll likely get a little more of my attention than any other critter in here."

"Good. He loves you." Jane smiled sweetly. "Me too, by the way."

Maura glanced up at Jane and smiled brightly. "I love you, too. Both of you." She chuckled and then scratched behind Jake's ears.

Jake sighed contently and Jane kissed Maura's cheek. "Let me take you out tonight. A date."

Maura's hazel eyes met Jane's chocolate. "Is the location a surprise or do I get to know where we're going?" She smiled slyly. She'd almost asked about Jane keeping her distance, as planned. But Maura didn't want the soldier to shut herself off again. She wanted Jane to stay with her more than anything.

"It's a surprise. It wont be fancy or anything but I think you'll like it." She smiled and took Maura's hand, her thumb moving over the top slowly.

"I don't need fancy. I've enjoyed every date we've gone on so far." She smiled and kissed the corner of Jane's mouth. "You can stay back here and spend some time with Jake if you'd like. I need to start making my rounds."

Jane smiled and nodded. "I'll stay back here for a bit then I gotta get ready for tonight." She smirked.

Maura cocked a brow and tilted her head slightly, a grin on her lips. "Sounds like quite the undertaking. Now I'm really looking forward to it."

The brunette grinned. "It has a couple of stages. But I think you'll have fun." She smiled brightly, looking up at the blonde with eyes full of love.

"I think so, too." With one last kiss to Jane's forehead, Maura left the room to get to work, a huge smile still on her lips.

Jane left about an hour later, making sure to tell Maura bye then went off and made some arrangements for dinner and fun for the two of them. By the time Maura got off work, Jane was waiting for her, leaning against a crotch rocket with a smile. "Ready?"

Maura smiled and stepped close to Jane, running her fingers along the lapel of her leather riding jacket as she leaned into her. "I am. Have I mentioned yet how sexy you are in this jacket and on that bike?" She winked.

Jane grinned and leaned into her. "Mm I don't think you have. Wanna remind me?" she whispered against Maura's lips.

Maura tugged on Jane's jacket to close the distance between them and then kissed her deeply for the first time in more than a week. "I'll show you just how much I love you in that jacket on the bike later." She said softly against her lips.

"Mm baby." The soldier's hands ran down to the blonde's ass and squeezed. "Can't wait...but first, we have dinner to get to."

Maura bit her bottom lip at the contact and then nodded, reaching around Jane to grab the helmet off the bike. "Let's get going then." She pulled the helmet over her head, a dark shield covering her face, and once Jane was situated, climbed onto the bike behind her.

Jane was happy to have Maura's arms around her the whole way there. Finally pulling into a parking space in front of a Mexican Restaurant called 'San Jose', she helped her off the bike, Jane then got off herself and pulled Maura's helmet off then kissed her nose.

Maura smiled warmly and smoothed out her helmet hair before grabbing a hold of Jane's hand, her thumb brushing over the scar on the back, and walking toward the entrance. "Good choice. It's the best in town."

"Yeah it is. I stopped by to eat before I came to the ranch that same day." Jane grinned then it faded slightly. Choosing this place was appropriate.

"So I never did hear the story of how you got started at the ranch. Did you hear about the job opening in town or just happen upon us?" Maura asked as she held up two fingers to indicate how many was in their party, the hostess guiding them to a table.

"I actually just happened upon the place. Jake and I were tired and we picked it. We would be out of the way if we could sleep in the stables for the night but then I asked if there was job opening and I got both. Might as well work where we slept."

"I've never really been one to believe in fate, but... it seems that's what brought you here. I'm glad you just happened upon the ranch." Maura reached across the table and took Jane's hand in her own again. "I know we've had some rough patches, but you're the best thing to ever happen to me."

"I always wonder what would have been if I went the other way when I came across the fork in the road. I spent a good few minutes deciding which way to go." Jane smiled and kissed the back of Maura's fingers. "I love you and you are the best thing that has ever happened to me too. I know I survived the war just so I could meet you."

Maura smiled and gave Jane's hand a little squeeze. "You belong here. With me. With the ranch. I know things will only getter better."

"Things will get better. I'm going to do what I have to to get better." She stroked her hand with her thumb. "Everything I do... is for you."

"While I love hearing you say that, you should be doing it for you." Maura said softly. "I want you to be as comfortable with yourself as you are with me."

"I know but... I was just running away from myself until I met you. You made me want to fix myself."

"I think that's what makes a couple strong. Wanting to be the best versions of ourselves that we can be for that other person." Maura said while looking into those dark eyes she'd come to love.

Jane nodded. "You're right." Looking up as the waiter came to the table, the traveler spoke in his native language as she ordered what she wanted.

Maura had ordered and the waiter had gone, she looked across the table at Jane questioningly. "I didn't know you could speak Spanish so fluently."

"You never asked." She winked. "I picked it up from a guy I was in the army with. Jorge Lopez. He was pretty cool. Didn't speak English well so working along side him, I learned to pick Spanish up quickly."

"Studies do show that the best way to learn a new language is to immerse oneself in the culture or in an environment where you have no choice but to speak that particular language to communicate." Maura smiled. "So is Jorge still in the military?" She asked delicately.

"He is. Signed up for another four years." She shrugged. "He doesn't have any family back home so the military is all Jorge really knows."

"I imagine the military has become his family." Maura said softly, taking a sip of her water.

"Yeah... there are more than a few like him." She shrugged. "If I hadn't gotten hurt I may have enlisted again."

"Do you think you could've ever gone career?" Maura asked with the slight tilt of her head.

"Yeah I do. A few people wanted me gone a bit earlier but... I'm out now and I'm-I'm glad."

"I'm not happy that you got hurt, but I am glad that you're here now. For selfish reasons, of course." She smiled. "If you had gone career, we might've never met."

"We wouldn't have met. But now that we have, I couldn't imagine my life in any other way." She dipped a chip in the queso and took a bite. "I hope you're ready for fun tonight."

Maura raised a brow. "I am..." She tried to think of what Jane could have up her sleeve. "You're just making my curiosity worse, you know? It's a little torturous."

"Good. Hopefully I picked something you've never done before."

"No matter what you picked, I'm sure I'll have a good time." Maura smiled. "I trust your judgement." That and she just loved being with the former soldier.

When dinner was eaten and the bill paid for by Jane, she loaded back onto the bike and took Maura to a place called Wild Thunder's Fun Park. Walking inside there was a huge game room. Going through to the ticket counter, Jane smirked. "Two for go-carts, please."

"I had never even really considered going go-carting before, but it looks fun." Maura grinned as she leaned into Jane, the cashier handing over two tickets. "Especially if I end up beating you."

Jane laughed. "You beat me and I will let you be on my team for Laser Tag." She laughed and took Maura's hand as they headed outside towards the go-cart track. Handing over the tickets Jane got in a red car and Maura in a yellow. A few others joined them. Sitting behind her girlfriend, Jane called out. "Hey babe, don't run into the wall!"

"Are you insinuating that I'm a bad driver, Jane Rizzoli!?" Maura yelled back, then chuckled to herself and shook her head. She tightened her belt before gripping onto the steering wheel, ready for the green light. She just had to beat that cocky girlfriend of hers.

Jane laughed. "YES!" When the green light lit up, Jane hit the gas and hit Maura's back end. The moment she had enough space out of the gate, she went around Maura and waved.

Maura narrowed her eyes at the former soldier, now more determined than ever to beat her in the race, and stomped down on that pedal. She passed a couple of other carts quickly and managed to trail Jane closely for a bit before passing her with a smirk.

"Hey!" Jane yelled with a laugh and came right back up beside her and bumped into her. "Hola sexy!" She smirked.

"Hey! No fair!" Maura chuckled, even as Jane passed her again, putting a cute pout on the veterinarian's lips.

Jane smirked and blocked another driver from passing them at the end, Jane let Maura win.

"Yeah! Take that!" The animal doctor gloated and jumped out of the cart, doing a little victory dance like she'd seen on a football game she had on one evening while giving the sports Jane loved a go. She bumped hips with Jane playfully at the end of it.

The soldier laughed and then gripped her wrists suddenly, going serious. "Yeah you won... You know what that means?"

Maura's joyful expression turned grave, too, as she lowered her head slightly and raised both brows in questioning. "No..."

Jane pushed her against the pillar before a smirk crossed her face. "You win a kiss." Leaning in, the brunette kissed the doctor. A kiss full of love and lust.

Maura was taken a little by surprise, not knowing exactly what to expect when Jane first pushed her up against that pillar. But the veterinarian poured just as much emotion into the kiss as her girlfriend did, her hands coming to rest on the brunette's sides. "Mm." She smiled afterward, against Jane's lips. "Best prize ever."

She smirked. "Best loss ever." Jane laughed and kissed her nose lightly. "Alright... have you ever played laser tag before?"

Maura shook her head. "No. Despite growing up on a ranch, I was never really a tomboy. So I've never engaged in any games like laser tag." She grinned.

"Well, time to change things." Taking her hand, Jane smiled. "You'll get a taste of what it was like to be on my team in the army."

Maura laced their fingers together as they walked. "I hope my lack of skills aren't too disappointing then." She smiled softly.

Jane shrugged. "It's okay. I'll have fun saving that sweet ass of yours." She chuckled and kissed the back of Maura's hand. Once in the Information and Gear room, he couple strapped on two plastic vests with blue lights then sat down with two other teams of two. A couple in red and a couple in white. They were informed with the rules of the game then sent out into the dark wooden maze of a room. Each going to their own teams recharging places.

Maura peered around the wall, trying to catch any glimpse she could of their opponents, gun ready. "So what's the game plan?" She asked quietly as she turned back to her girlfriend.

"Stay low and stay close to the walls. See anything white or red, point and shoot. Only way we can win is to get as many hits as possible on the others." She whispered back. Jane slipping back into army mode.

Maura studied Jane for a moment before nodding, crouching low as instructed and heading out. It was dark, the air filled with fog from the machines. And even though it was just a game, Maura's adrenaline was pumping. She spotted one of the red vests then aimed and fired, hitting him, an audible frustrated sigh escaping his lips as the blonde smirked.

Jane patted her shoulder with a grin. "That's my girl." Looking over the wall of the bridge they were on, Jane spotted a white and silently aimed and shot her right in the chest. The sound of the gun and the vest making her chuckle. "Lucky for them they don't sound like real guns."

Maura just nodded, covering Jane's back. The noises associated with the game may not have sounded like real gunfire, but the veterinarian didn't want anyone sneaking up on her soldier just in case. Spotting the white vest's partner aiming at her girlfriend, Maura gently took hold of Jane's forearm and pulled her down into a squatting position. "No biggie. Just saving you from enemy fire." She chuckled.

"Thanks babe." Jane grinned and kissed her lips briefly. Pulling back she saw a Red coming up at the top of the bridge and in one swift motion Jane fired twice, making him go back to his recharge post.

Maura smirked as she watched Jane and then slipped around the wall, getting one of the white vests again. She had no idea laser tag could be this fun. And she loved watching Jane move. By the end of it, they'd beaten the other teams pretty badly, Maura beaming as she stood next to Jane afterward, while they worked to get their gear off.

Jane looked down at her and grinned. "That was fun and you had some amazing skills back there." She hung up her vest and pulled Maura close. "I was honored to have you on my team."

"Well I learned from the best. I just studied you closely before springing into action." Maura smiled as she hugged Jane tightly, glancing up at her. "Thank you for bringing me here. I've truly had a lot of fun."

The brunette hugged her and smiled sweetly. "I've had fun too baby. I love you."

"I love you, too, Jane." Maura said softly and leaned in to kiss her. "So what's next on our agenda?"

"Next is absolutely anything you wanna do. Small or big, I'll make it happen."

"You've already made so many things I wanted to do happen." Maura noted as she ran her hand down Jane's chest, her gaze then meeting the former soldier's. "How about we just go for a ride on that bike in the countryside?"

"Sounds great to me." She smiled and walked out of the Fun Park and back to the motorcycle. Helping Maura with her helmet, she then put on her own and got on. Once Maura was too, she started to ride off into the countryside.

Maura wrapped her arms around Jane's middle and closed her eyes for a bit as she just enjoyed the closeness of her lover, her front pressed against Jane's back and her cheek resting on the brunette's shoulder blade. Once she had opened her eyes, she sighed contently as she enjoyed the sights.

The couple spent the rest of the night there and headed back to the ranch around 3 am. Slipping into bed beside her, She pulled Maura into her arms and rested. Today was perfect with the woman she loved, but tomorrow was going to be completely different. In more ways than one.

**Dun dun dun**

**Reviews are delicious ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

By the sun came up the next morning Jane was gone. There was a white sheet of paper on Maura's dresser under a single rose, waiting for her. It was Jane's goodbye.

She had kept her promise to Ryan and told him goodbye before leaving. Jane had bought the motorcycle with saved money since she didn't have the living expense, so no more traveling on foot.

Maura was disappointed when she woke up to an empty bed. Running her hand over the empty mattress beside her, she soon sat up and stretched out her limbs before climbing out from under the covers. She was headed to the bathroom for a shower when she noticed the rose and letter. Thinking it was a note to explain her absence - perhaps Jane had just risen early and dived into work - Maura smiled at the gesture and picked it up to read. Once her eyes had glided over the words, however, the veterinarian's smile quickly faded, a sense of nausea hitting her as she quickly took a seat at the foot of the bed to steady herself.

The trip from her cabin to her father's house was a blur as Maura ran in to find him sitting on the couch in the living room. "Jane's gone. Did you see her leave? Do you have any idea where she's going?" She asked desperately, hoping she could still catch her.

Ryan sighed softly and looked up at her. "Yeah, she took the motorcycle and went west. Other than that, it's all I know. Maura, sweetie, she's doing this for you. Jane promised that she would come back and I believe her."

"You talked with her, knew what she was planning, and didn't feel like it was important to tell me?" Maura asked, clearly exasperated. "And doing this for me? How do you think I feel getting a letter with her intentions, without any real goodbye?"

"She asked me not to say anything and yesterday was your goodbye. I know you're angry right now but please think about it. Jane loves you more than life itself, she told me she was leaving to get the help she needs so she wont be a danger to you. Jane told me she'll be back just give her time, sweetie"

"Angry is putting it mildly. Jane could've gotten the help she needed right here. I could've helped her." Maura turned on her heel and headed for the door.

"What are you going to do!?" Ryan called out as he watched her.

"Find Jane!" The blonde yelled and headed out to her car.

Jane was on her way to Vegas. She had heard about a guy there that could help her more than anyone could and quickly. She figured the faster she healed mentally the faster she could get back to Maura; the place when longed to be the moment he got out of bed.

Maura came home after hours of trying to find Jane and plopped down on the stairs of her front porch. Jake soon trotted over to Maura, licking at her wet cheeks, and sat in front of her, the animal doctor wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tight. "She left both of us behind." Maura spoke in a strained voice full of heartache.

Jake whined softly and nuzzled into her then shook his head. He pulled away and bumped his head into the front door of the cabin to open it and trotted to the bedroom, took the note in his mouth and dropped it into her lap. Jake nuzzled it closer to her hands for her to read again.

Once Maura picked it back up to read his head laid on top of her thighs.

_Baby,_

_There is no way to measure how much I love you. So please don't think I'm doing this because I don't. I'm leaving. To get help. I feel that I need to move away to get the help I need so I'm not a danger to you. _

_Maura, I don't want to risk hurting you again. You almost died because of me._

_I wanted to give you a great goodbye without actually saying it. I wanted to give you a day to remember so maybe me leaving wouldn't hurt so much. _

_I didn't leave to hurt you, I left because you mean the world to me. I'll be back, I promise. Just give me time to fix myself. Please. _

_I had a talk with Jake and I told him to take care of you. _

_Please don't hate me..._

_With all the love I have, _

_Jane_

Maura balled the sheet of paper up and tossed it onto the ground. "She took the coward's way out!" A sob escaped her chest as she covered her face with her hands. "I thought everything was getting better. After last night, I thought she was getting the help she needed. She could've stayed with us, Jake, and gotten it."

Sitting up on his haunches, his paws were placed on her knees and he licked her hands over her face. He didn't want Maura to be angry with Jane. She had told him to keep her safe and protect Maura and she had even promised him she would be back.

Maura moved her hands and rested her forehead against the top of Jake's. "She could've at least told me goodbye in person instead of sneaking off."

Taking a deep breath he let it out and stayed right there for as long as she needed.

Ryan watched from his own porch and shook his head. Walking over to the cabin he sighed. "Maura, I did hear her talking about a therapist in Nevada... I don't know where but maybe that'll give you a start."

Maura sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "Thank you. That helps a little." She stared down at the ground for a moment before speaking again. "Jane could've told me where she was going, what she was doing. I could've gone with her for while."

"I know but she told me that she didn't want to put you in harms way again. She'll be back and give her time to contact you."

Maura sighed. "She's the most stubborn person I've ever met. She better contact me soon."

He smiled. "She really is but that woman does love you. And knowing that I have a feeling she wont last too long without talking to you." He smiled. "You shoulda been here when she kicked Mason's ass. Yeah the main reason behind it was because he hurt Jake but I could see she was getting him back for all the bull he put you through."

"Jane is the best thing to ever happen to me. I've told her so. I was worried about her that day, but I'm sure Mason got exactly what he deserved." Maura looked up at her father then. "She's protective, loving. But she also puts too much blame on herself."

"She does but if she didn't, I don't think she would care as much as she does."

Arriving in Vegas, Jane wasn't sure where to go. She didn't actually have money for a hotel room. Parking her bike along the street, the soldier slid her hands inside her jacket pockets. Feeling something in there she grabbed and pulled it out. $10.

Across the street was a casino. Not a very popular one but Jane figured she could flip this money and have enough to stay somewhere cheap.

Coming out two grand richer a few hours later, she hopped back on her motorcycle and took off to find a hotel and a place to grab some grub.

She was sitting alone in a booth when a man slid in across from her. "What's a gorgeous creature like you doing all alone?" He asked, flashing a pearly white smile, his blue eyes twinkling.

Jane looked back at him and took a big bite of her burger. "Well last time I checked, I was eating. Alone and that's how I prefer it right now."

"Why? Did your boyfriend dump you? Trying to get over some heartache? I could help." He grinned deviously.

"I don't need your help. I'm a soldier with PTSD, and I'd think it wise if you moved along and let me eat."

"Fine." The man began to scoot out of the booth. "Crazy bitch." He mumbled under his breath as he stood and started walking off.

The waitress appeared then and poured Jane another cup of coffee. "Welcome to Vegas. A glorious city full of sin and assholes."

Jane went to go after him but before she could get outta the booth Aly came up. Sliding back in she nodded. "Yeah, thanks. I think." She chuckled."

Aly smiled. "You're welcome. He was the asshole in this scenario not you, by the way." She chuckled. "So are you just passing through or staying in Vegas for a while?"

"I'm staying for as long as it takes. At least I seem to have good luck with the casinos." She smiled and sipped her coffee.

"I guess luck can be a lady." Aly smiled. "Let me know if you need anything else." She said and then headed over to her next table.

Jane smiled and nodded once. She watched Aly move to the next table then focused on her own food and enjoyed her meal. Or at least tried to.

The same bastard walked up to her table again with a friend. She of course ignored his presence.

"You know, I think you were just fucking around earlier. Didn't want to be bothered by a guy so you claim some story to scare me off." He said gruffly. "I can get that. But I promise you I'm a real charmer once you get to know me. So's my friend." Chad said as he took a seat across from her again, his friend, Jeremy, joining him with a grin.

Jane let out an aggravated sigh and cut her eyes up at them. "I didn't come here to be bothered by two me with beer guts who think they're hot shit. So I ask you once more... leave me be."

"You bul-"  
Jeremy cut his friend off before he could even come close to finishing. He could tell by his nasty tone it wouldn't be pretty. "Why don't we all just take a calming breath and start over. My name is Jeremy Glass and I'm sorry for my friend's behavior."

Jane's eyes were glaring daggers at Chad, with a slight disgusted look on her face. Her eyes slowly traveled to Jeremy. "Well thank you for actually being a gentleman, Mr. Glass. More than I can say for him." She motioned her head toward the blonde man with the goatee.

"Yeah, well, fuck you too, bitch." Chad growled and pushed Jeremy out so he could get up.

"How about you learn some respect and stop being such a dick when you don't get your way?" Jeremy called out after him before turning to Jane. "I'm sorry. He thinks he's a lady man and clearly he's not."

"Well thank you for actually having respect and you kinda saved your buddy's ass. I tend to get violent."

"Rough around the edges, huh?" He smiled. "Well, if you wanna kick his ass next time, that's fine by me. Sorry to have bothered you..." Jeremy paused to get her name.

"You could say that." She smiled slightly. "I'm Jane."

"Well, Jane, it's nice to meet you." He smiled, still standing close to her table. "And again, sorry about Chad."

"It's fine. Have a good night." Jane turned back to her mostly eaten burger and finished up a few more fries and downed her beer. Sitting back she waited for Aly, wishing she still had that prepaid phone. Not used to carrying a cell around she had left it one Maura's dresser as she left.

"Here you go." Aly laid the bill down in front of Jane. "Pay whenever you're ready, sweetie."

Jane looked up at her and smiled. "Thank you." She picked up the pill and handed it to her with a fifty on top to pay for her $12 meal. "Keep the change."

Aly's eyes grew wide as she looked down at the $50 bill. "I-I can't accept this. Really. I wouldn't feel right about keeping that much. I mean, I'd be really grateful, but..."

Jane stood up and closed the girl's hand around the money. "You deserve it. You did save a life tonight." She chuckled before moving to walk away.

Aly smiled widely and slipped the money into her apron to take back to the register. "Thank you!" She called out to the curly-haired brunette as she walked away.

Jane smiled over her shoulder and walked out of the bar. She got onto her bike and drove to the hotel. Once there she laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Every once and a while she would look over at the phone in the room, wanting to call Maura.

Maura laid on her side, one arm under her pillow, staring at Jane's side of the bed. It felt so... empty without her. Not just her bed, but the way she felt. Jane said she'd come back, but Maura had no idea how long she'd have to wait for the soldier. Jake jumped in bed then, taking up Jane's spot, and the doctor reached out to pet his back.

Turning his head, he put his nose to her's for a moment before licking it as if saying everything was okay.

Maura's cell phone started vibrating on the bedside table. An unknown name showed in the display of her screen.

Jake sat up immediately and started whining as he wagged his tail excitedly, like he knew it was the soldier.

"Okay, okay. Calm down." Maura said with the smallest hint of a smile as she sat up and reached over Jake to grab her phone. Staring at the screen for a moment, Maura pressed the answer button and lifted it to her ear. "Hello."

"Hey."

Maura was relieved to hear that raspy voice, but she wasn't about to go easy on her. "I'm mad at you."

"I know you are and I'm sorry. I know I should have told you in person but... I just. I don't know Maur, I just didn't want to hurt you anymore."

"What you pulled yesterday and then this morning... it hurt me a lot more. I thought you were going to let me in, let me help. You had me believing things were progressing for us." Maura sighed. "And then you just left."

"I know halfway here I regretted it." She sighed. "Things were progressing for us. Let me get the help I need away from the people I love and care about because if I'm to black out again I want it to be on someone I don't really know." She was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "I can't handle seeing another mark on you from the violence caused by me. Not another bruise or scratch. Because if I happened to hurt you again.. I would've left for good."

"I want you to get the help you need, but I also want you with me. Maybe that's selfish, but I know you could've gotten help here in Texas, whether it be in Dallas or Houston." Maura felt some tears threatening to fall again. "I could've gone with you, Jane. I know you're worried about hurting me, but I could've helped you. I know your triggers."

"You know some triggers..." Jane took a breath. "I'll come for you when I'm better. Not being with you now is hard enough."

"I don't like it, but I can understand where you're coming from. Just promise me you'll keep in touch. And please tell me that you're someplace safe and comfortable."

"I promise you I'm safe and pretty comfortable for tonight and maybe tomorrow. Lets just say I came into some luck that should last me a couple of days."

"Okay." Maura took a deep breath. "I love you, Jane. I hope you find the help you need and come back soon."

"I love you too, Maur, and when I come back.. I'm going to make my absence worth every minute of it. I promise. And I'll keep in touch. Every night."

"You better. On both accounts." Maura sniffled, her nose runny from those tears still leaking from her eyes. Those damn, irritating tears she couldn't control. "I'm still mad at you for leaving me the way you did. But I'll be right here waiting on you when you get back."

"You can be mad, but I know you'll still love me and that's what's getting me through here. I'll be home before you know it."

"I hope so. Now get some rest. I'll talk to you tomorrow, right?" She asked, hopeful.

"You can count on it. G'night, baby."


	11. Chapter 11

It'd been a little over a month and Jane was doing better. She had a new job, a good therapist, and knew Maura was waiting for her.

They talked regularly. And while it was hard being apart, they both knew they'd be together soon enough. The only downfall for Jane was one coworker in particular who liked to stir up trouble:

Ash Rogers, who was currently trying to pick a fight with the former soldier. "So did the army diagnose you with one of those personality disorders or whatever? Because you sure as hell seem like a crazy bitch."

Jane set her cell down on the break room table and looked over her shoulder at the jerk. "You wanna see how crazy I can be? Keep talkin'."

"I'd love for you to show me how crazy you are. Then maybe the boss would finally fire your ass." He smirked and patted his jaw. "Go ahead. Go for it."

Slowly getting up out of the chair, she turned and balled up her fist. She quickly punched at him but stopped short. Chuckling when he flinched. "You're not as bad as you thought you were." She smirked and backed away grabbing her cell. "And I'm not stupid enough to assault you at work and get myself fired."

Ash ignored everything Jane said and quickly snatched her phone, stepping back and waving it in the air. "Been talking to your lady friend on the clock? Doing any sexting?" He glanced down at the cell and fiddled with it enough to get the background on display. "She's definitely a pretty thing. I know I'd tear that ass up. I hope she comes to visit soon."

"I'm on break.." She glared at him as she advanced. When he wouldn't give the cell back and commented on Maura, Jane gripped his shirt with both hands, spun him 45 degrees and slammed Ash into the vending machine. "I suggest you give me my cell phone back before I shove your ass into a pokeball!"

"Go ahead! Lay another hand on me and I'll have you fired so fast your head'll spin." Ash spat.

Another coworker, Scott, stepped in then and snatched the phone from the jackass' hand. "Go ahead and try to file a complaint against her. The rest of us will back Jane up."

Jane shoved him even more into the vending machine before stepping back and taking her cell from Scott who handed it back to her. The moment Ash left the breakroom of the Auto store, Jane sighed. "Thanks, Scott. I owe you."

"No problem. Ash just doesn't like you because you actually call him out on his bullshit. The guy is the most worthless jackass I've ever met. I seriously don't know how he's kept his job for so long."

She nodded. "I agree with you on that actually. To bad we can't get him fired."

"I've tried filing complaints against him. I think he's good buddies with one of the managers, unfortunately." He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Of course he is." She groaned and looked down at her phone then back up at him. "I better get back. My break is over."

"Alright. Try to take it easy. Don't let him push your buttons." Scott said and then backed away to take a seat and enjoy his lunch.

"I can't make those promises." She smirked then walked out, and onto the sales floor. She saw a younger brunette woman looking at headlights for her car. "Can I help? What kind of car do you have?"

"Yeah, actually, I'm hooorrible with car stuff." She smiled brightly. "I have a 2007 Camry and my headlights are all foggy looking so I figured it's time to get some new ones."

"Oh don't waste your money on new ones." She smiled and picked up a bottle of Fog-Be-Gone and showed it to her. "If the lenses are foggy then this is all you need. Take the pad here..." She picked up a micro fiber cloth pad and handed it to her. "Put a quarter-sized drop of the liquid on here and do a circular motion on your lenses then flip the pad and 'wax off'. They should clear up." She smiled. "Hate to see you waste your money. Lenses aren't cheap."

"Wow. Thanks a lot..." She tilted her head to get a better look at Jane's name tag. "Jane." She smiled. "If it'd been one of the guys helping me out instead, I'm sure they would've pointed me in the direction of the most expensive lenses. They like to take advantage of us unknowing girls like that."

Jane grinned. "Mhm, why do you think I chose to work in a place like this?" She asked with a chuckle then leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Wanna thank me?" She asked huskily. "Fill out a complaint form against a guy named Ash." She pulled back and smirked. "Do that and I'll defog your lenses for you."

"Keep talking to me in that voice and I'll do anything you want, sugar." She grinned and winked playfully. "We could defog the lenses and fog up something else instead. I'm Carrie by the way. I'd hate to have you at a disadvantage."

Jane smiled but couldn't help the flutter she felt from the unexpectedness of what Carrie said. "I would have taken you up on that offer if I didn't have an amazing girl back home that I'm trying to get back to."

"Oh, taken, bummer." Carrie actually pouted a bit. "Well, Jane, I hope you get back to her soon. Is it a money issue? Are you trying to work your way to a plane ticket or something?" She smiled. "Sorry if I'm being too noisy."

"I wish it was something like that... Its a long story but I left her back in Dallas to come here and get help for my PTSD." She sighed and walked her to the register to ring her up. She started finishing up her story when they walked outside. "I've hurt her several times even while trying to get help from the local therapist. I finally had to leave so I wasn't a risk to Maura again." She knelt down and started on her left headlight. "As soon as Dr. Hawk clears me, I'm going home, to her."

"So you have what sounds like a pretty awesome girl waiting back home while you work to fix yourself? That's very admirable." Carrie leaned against her car's hood as she watched Jane. "How long have you been here working with Dr. Hawk?"

Jane smiled sweetly and nodded. She then spoke, "A month and nine days."

"So how long do you think you'll be in Vegas? I mean, there's no way you could know a specific time frame but any general idea?" Carrie asked.

"I really dont know actually. But the moment I'm cleared I'm going right back to Maura." she smiled as she circled the pad on the lens. "So are you from here originally?"

"Yep. Born and raised." Carrie smiled. "So if you ever wanna hang out..." She paused and then grinned. "I'd be glad to show you all the best haunts."

"I may just take you up on that,Carrie." She smiled. "I've been meaning to tour this place and gamble a lil more."

"A big gambler are you? Well you're definitely in the right place. Not many cities can out sin Sin City." Carrie pushed herself off the hood of her car and looked over the headlight Jane had just defogged. "Hey that looks great."

"Not really but I could use the money." Jane said then nodded. "Told ya it'd look good as new."

"So where are you staying right now? Vegas ain't exactly cheap, sweetheart."

"Uh Owl's next Motel right down the street." She shrugged then moved over to the next head light.

"Really? That place is a dump." Carrie huffed. "I really think you deserve something better. I have an extra room if you're interested. We could be temporary roommates."

"You wouldn't mind?" She asked with a raise of a brow, looking up at Carrie. "How do you know I' not a bad guy?" She smirked and continued to defog her lens.

"If you were a bad guy, you would've let me buy brand new lens instead of suggesting the defogger." Carrie chuckled. "So no, I wouldn't mind. I could use a trustworthy roomie. I think the last one was a witch. No joke."

Jane smiled and nodded. "Alright. And don't worry I'll pay ya rent." She then chuckled. "And you really thought she was a witch?"

"She cursed me before she left and I swear, for like three months straight, I had the worst luck of my life. Then I found this little black bag full of weird shit in the room and threw it out. My luck got a whole lot better afterwards. Needless to say, I'm now a believer."

Jane laughed. "Holy crap. That's pretty crazy, Red." She shook her head and finally finished up with the headlights. "Alright, hun. You're all done."

"Thanks." The younger brunette smiled and stepped closer to Jane. "Now here, let me see your phone so I can type in my number for ya. Then you can shoot me a text and I'll reply with my address, roomie." She grinned.

Jane grinned and handed her cell to Carrie then shot her a quick 'Hi' so she could give her number easily. "I'll text you when I'm done with work, which should be around 5. I only have a bag of things at the motel, so it wont take me long to pack."

"Sounds good." Carrie smirked and texted Jane an address. "See you there once you gather your shit, Jane." She winked and then climbed into the front seat of her car, popping her head out of the window. "I hope the rest of your work day goes well."

"You have a hot girlfriend waiting on you back home and still flirt with a pretty thing like that here. I wonder what Maura would think." Ash smirked.

"I wasn't flirting so why don't you keep that pig nose of yours outta my business?" Jane walked behind the counter and and filed away their copy of Carrie's receipt.

"So I'm just curious, do you only date women because you can't land yourself a good looking guy or are you actually just a dyke?" He continued.

"Lets just say, no man can handle me."

"And your petite little girlfriend can? I'm surprised she hasn't started screwing around on you yet. Unless she already has..."

"She wouldn't. Maura loves me and I love her. Ash, if you don't want your face rearranged today, I suggest you shut your mouth." Jane said calmly as she put the receipt away.

Ash shrugged. "What? I'm just saying that if you don't have the person you love with you for long periods of time, it's easy to get distracted by attractive options that are available."

"It's call self control and love for the person you're in a relationship with. It's not that hard."

"Well isn't Maura lucky to have you. So trustworthy." Ash winked and got back to work.

Jane finished out her workday and went back to the motel to gather her things. She smiled down at her buzzing phone and answered. "Hey baby, you're a little early tonight."

"Well I couldn't even wait to get home to talk to you." Maura said as she stopped at a red light, her phone synced to her car to allow hands free calls. "It's been a long day, and I really miss you, Jane."

"I miss you too, Maur. A lot. I'm thinking about taking a flight with some winnings I'm hoping to get and come see you for a day or two."

"I don't want you using money you need for a plane ticket. But..." Maura started, a smile on her lips though Jane couldn't see. "If you let me know where you're staying, I could come visit you instead."

Jane was surprised Maura hadn't figured out where she was living. She had brought up 'winnings' twice since she's been there. "He said I shouldn't have any visitors plus, I was able to get out of the hotel so I'm saving a bit of money. How about this weekend, plan on me to come."

"Jane." Maura huffed. "I know you're in Las Vegas. Or Reno. The two are Nevada's most notorious casino cities. I'm leaning toward the former, though, since it's larger and more likely to contain such a highly recommended therapist. Visiting would include you coming to see me, you know."

With a sigh she spoke. "Then come see me for a weekend. I'm tired of traveling anyway." Jane chuckled.

"I will. This weekend. Now, you mentioned that you're not in a hotel anymore, so where are you staying?"

"I'm actually renting a room from a lady I met today at work."

"A new coworker or a customer?" Maura asked curiously, since Jane hadn't specified.

"A customer. She was looking for a roommate and found out I was staying a dump of a hotel so she offered a room. But don't worry, she knows all about you. Hell, everyone knows about you. You're all I talk about."

"Oh I wasn't worried about that. But really? I'm all you talk about?" The veterinarian asked, a smile evident in her voice. "I'm glad you found someplace nicer to stay."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure people will know you the moment you land." Jane laughed softly. "I'm packing my stuff up now and going to head over to her place later."

xxx

Carrie was sprawled out on her couch when she heard the loud rap at her door and jumped up to open it, grinning widely at Jane. "Welcome to my humble abode!" She stepped aside and held the door open for her new roommate. "Come on in!"

"Thanks." Jane smiled brightly and walked in. "Thanks again for this. I don't know how long I'll be here but I'll pay you every week."

"No problem. And just pay me whatever you can afford, okay? As long as you help out with groceries, I'm cool." She smiled, showing Jane to her room. "And this is where you'll be staying."

Jane nodded with a grin, "You got a deal, Care." She smiled and set her things down in her room and sighed softly. "Maura's coming this weekend." it was a happy sigh. "But don't worry, I'll stay with her at a hotel so you won't have to hear us." The soldier chuckled.

"Damn. Gonna jump her bones as soon as you see her?" Carrie laughed. "I really appreciate the consideration. Just as long as I get to meet her while she's in town. See if she's as hot as you." She winked and headed back for the living room.

Jane nodded. "Oh yeah." She laughed, following her out. "You'll meet her and believe me if you think I'm hot, you'll have a sun burn the moment she steps into the room.

"I'll dig out my shades." Carrie laughed. "Man, I bet guys just wish they were you girls all the time." Carrie laughed.

"Yeah they do actually." She laughed and flopped down on the couch. "So what is the first order of business for the two awesome roommates?"

"Lazy time on the couch, with a call tossed into the nearest decent pizza place. I'm thinking we tie it all together with a good movie. Thoughts?" Carrie asked with the hint of a smirk, glancing over at Jane.

"You got me sold only if you add beer to the mix."

"Deal."

xxx

Maura landed in Las Vegas late Friday night. Wanting to spend the whole weekend with Jane, she'd hopped on a plane right after work. Despite the hour, the airport was bustling, the blonde looking for those unruly curls she loved so much amongst the crowd.

Jane saw Maura before the blonde saw her. She was able to come up behind the woman and wrap her arms around her petite body, picking her up and spinning them around. Setting the veterinarian down, the former soldier grinned. "Hey baby."

"Jane." Just her name alone held a lot of meaning coming from Maura's lips. A greeting, an 'I missed you,' and so much more. The blonde slipped her arms around the back of the brunette's neck and hugged her close.

The taller woman wrapped her arms around Maura's back and nuzzled into her hair, taking in her scent. They stayed that way; silent, for a few moments before Jane broke that silence. "I've missed you more than I realized."

"I miss you more and more every day." Maura finally pulled away so she could get a good look at Jane. "How's everything going? Really? Is that one guy still bothering you?"

"It's getting better and yeah, he's still being an ass but lets not worry about that. I wanna take you to the hotel and ravish you."

Maura grinned and ran her fingers along the ridges of Jane's leather bike jacket. "I'm definitely up for that. But you should probably give me a welcome to Vegas kiss first."

"Gladly." She grinned and dipped in for a very passionate and loving kiss. One that was worth the month and quarter of time apart. Humming softly as they finally pulled apart, Jane put her forehead to Maura's. "Welcome to Sin City."

Maura smiled and just took a moment to enjoy their closeness before speaking. "Now let's go be sinful."

Getting Maura back to the room, she brought her close. Hands running down to the blonde's ass, gripping. Lips hungry for hot, sensual kisses. Her core wet and ready, but not for her own satisfaction, but for her partner's. Walking the doctor backwards toward the bed, Jane opened her blouse and kissed her sweet collarbone.

Maura made sure to reconnect their lips as she began to peel off layers of Jane's clothing so that soon, they were both bare and pressed flush against one another. They fell to the bed in a lover's sensual dance, both bringing pleasure to the other over the course of the next few hours, their appetite nearly insatiable since they'd been separated for so long. Afterwards, Maura laid in Jane's arms, where she felt she belonged, both covered in a sheen of sweat.

"Mm Maur, that was completely perfect." She kissed her forehead, lips lingering there. "I'm glad you came."

"Me too. I've missed this. And not just the sex." Maura chuckled. "Moreso the cuddling afterward because I just love being in your arms." She said looking up into Jane's eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too, Maur. Almost as much as I love holding you." Jane chuckled. "So... hows the ranch and Ryan and does Brock still hate me?" she asked the squeezed her lightly. "But first... How's Jake?"

"I can tell Jake misses you, but he's been my emotional support. And I never thought I'd say that about a dog." Maura laughed. "I almost brought him with me, but since the trip was so last minute, I thought it might be too difficult to make the arrangements." She kissed Jane's shoulder. "My father and the ranch are doing well, and Brock never hated you. He was upset with you. There's a difference."

"That's why I left him. I left him for you." She smiled. "Well I'm sure he's still upset with me. Brock was a good friend." She shrugged and held her close, kissing Maura's temple.

"He still is, Jane. Brock has moved past the incident and actually asks about you often. Everyone misses you. Not just Jake and I."

"I'll come back as soon as I can. Doc doesn't know when he's going to release me... I kinda flipped out the other day. I didnt hurt anyone but I still scared the piss outta him."

"You still have a ways to go then. But it sounds like things are improving." Maura pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

"Yeah I just wanna make sure I'll never hurt you or anyone else again."

"I know." Maura said quietly and snuggled a little closer. She wanted to plead for Jane to let her stay or come back home with her, but she wouldn't.

Jane wanted her to stay longer than just the weekend. Hell, the soldier just wanted to go home with Maura, but that couldn't happen. Not yet. Laying this close to her just didn't seem close enough. Jane didn't want to let Maura go Monday morning.

xxx

Maura was lying on her stomach, blonde hair sprawled across the pillow when she woke up. She was so deliciously sated from last night that she didn't want to move. So she didn't. She spoke, her voice muffled by the pillow. "Mmm, Jane?"

Jane's fingers were trailing up and down her nude back slowly. Laying on her side and her free hand holding her head up, Jane smiled. "G'morning, baby."

Maura turned her head so she could see Jane and smiled lazily. "Good morning." She leaned in and kissed her girlfriend softly. "So what are the plans for today?"

"Anything you wanna do, babe. We could gamble some or even skydive if you wanted. But I do know that you have to meet my roommate. I think you'll like her."

"You don't like heights." Maura said softly. "I might be up for some gambling, though. It is Vegas, afterall." She smirked and moved onto her side to face Jane. "We could always have lunch with your new roommate. But before all of that." Maura smiled as she leaned in close, her lips just centimeters from Jane's. "I'm thinking we should take a long shower together."

Closing the distance, the brunette kissed Maura slow and soft. "Mm best idea I've heard all morning." Hopping out quickly she ran around to Maura's side of the be and through back the covers and picked her up. "Off to the showers!"

Maura squealed and threw her arms around Jane's neck. "Jane!" She laughed as her lover carried her to the bathroom. A nice and long shower and then Maura and Jane were sitting on the bed eating a light breakfast together. "So what's your roommate's name?"

"Carrie." She smiled. "I saved her a lot of money one day. She came in for new headlights because they were foggy and well I cleaned them up for her."

"That's my Jane. Always so chivalrous." Maura smiled. "So how did you end up getting an invite as her roommate?"

"Well we talked while I cleaned them and told her why I was here and how badly I wanted to get back to you. She asked where I was staying and couldn't believe I was staying where I was and she offered me a room."

"Well that was very generous of her." Maura noted nonchalantly before taking a sip of her coffee.

Jane nodded her head. "Yeah, so I'm saving some moolah." She took a breath then kissed Maura's cheek. "I'm so glad your here."

"Me too." Maura smiled and finished her coffee before setting the cup aside. "I wish I could stay longer, but we'll make the time we have together amazing."

"We will. I promise." Jane smiled brightly. "We'll go to the casino, make you richer, then eat some lunch with Care. Afterward... anything you want."

Maura couldn't help but notice the nickname for Jane's new friend. As if they'd known each other for more than 24 hours. The blonde shook the negativity from her thoughts and forced a smile. "Well, I've never been here before so some exploring is definitely in order. Just as long as we're together, the activity doesn't really matter."

"Sounds good to me." She put her cup down then tackled Maura onto the bed. Pulling up her shirt she blew on her belly, a raspberry. She laughed hard and laid on top her Maura, Jane's cheek laid against a firm stomach. Her arms wrapping around the lower part of the blonde's back. "I love you."

Maura had squirmed but laughed, a delightfully frazzled 'Jane' escaping her lips. When the brunette had stopped to cuddle, the animal doctor had reached down to run her fingers through tangled curls affectionately. "I love you, too. So much."

Looking up, Jane rested her chin on her abdomen. "I can't wait to come home to you for good."

Maura glanced down at her girlfriend. "I wish you could just come back with me this weekend. It's going to be difficult adjusting to days without you again."

"Yeah, I know. It's gonna suck without you baby but I'll be back in Texas soon. I just have to stay on the right path and not let anyone knock me off. You're my goal."

Maura scratched at Jane's scalp lightly and nodded. "I know." But Jane saying her intentions out loud weren't helping matters much. Maura had no idea how long her girlfriend would be gone. And it was hard being separated by states.

Kissing right above Maura's navel, she then got up. "C'mon lets go gamble."

Maura took the hand Jane offered her and stood, walking out of the hotel hand-in-hand with her girlfriend. "Why don't we take a little walk since it looks like there are a few casinos nearby?"

"Sure thang."

Walking down the street, talking and laughing, it was ended by a certain annoying voice. Ash.

Having just caught a glance of the women from behind, Ash started in on Jane right away. "Running around with yet another pretty thing, Rizzoli? Decided to go blonde like the girlfriend this time, huh?"

Maura cocked a brow as she took in Jane's tightened features, recognizing the look as anger right away.

"Ash... shut your fuckin' mouth before I sick Charazard on your ass." She growled through her teeth. She slowly looked over her shoulder at him. "This is my girlfriend."

Ash stood there a little dumbfounded for a moment as the two women turned to face him, the college drop out then appraising and appreciating Maura openly with a smirk. "You look even better in person, Ms. Isles."

"And you come off even more neanderthal like than Jane described."

Jane stood in between him and Maura. "Eyes to yourself." Taking Maura's hand, she turned. "Lets go."

"Gonna go join up with your new friend? I've always wanted to see a lesbian threesome." Ash shot off.

It happened. Jane snapped. Turning around quickly she stormed up to Ash, gripped his shirt and slammed him into the wall. "I don't care what you say to me but while Maura's around you will be respectful!"

Ash winced at the harsh impact. "Me be respectful? I'm not the one that was flirting with some random chick when I got a gorgeous girlfriend waiting for me back home."

"I was not flirting. I was helping her out."

"Is that why you leaned so close to her and whispered in her ear?" He smirked a little. "Sure you weren't asking her if she'd like to spend an evening with you instead?"

Maura was definitely not a fan of Ash, but all the crap he was spewing was beginning to bother her a bit. Still, she placed her hand on Jane's arm and squeezed lightly. "Let's just go. He's not worth the trouble."

Jane's grip tightened on his shirt and slammed the guy more into the wall before letting him go. Stepping away she looked at Maura. "C'mon" She took her hand again and started walking away. "I did whisper in her ear but only to ask her, since I saved her so much money, if she would put a complaint slip in the box for Ash. That's all. Hell, you can ask her yourself today."

"I believe you, Jane. I don't need to ask Carrie." Maura moved a bit closer to Jane, glancing over her shoulder at Ash, who was still watching them, quickly. "Why is he so determined to make you miserable."

"I wish I knew. I guess he just wants me outta the store." Jane shrugged. "Lets gjust go have fun and forget about the ass of a boy."

Maura nodded. "Okay." She let the issue drop and walked with Jane to one of the casinos, the women laughing and having fun playing the slots and black jack. Maura proved to be a fairly good gambler herself as they won themselves, and lost themselves, some cash.

Leaning back in a chair that sat at a small table of the casino, Jane moved Maura onto her lap, in a straddling position. "Mm this is perfect." Her scarred hands moved up the blonde's sides and around to her back.

Maura slipped her arms around the back of Jane's neck and tilted her head to the side. "You certainly found a fun city to get what you need in." She smiled and leaned in to kiss the former soldier softly.

Jane returned the doctor's kiss but shook her head. "I'm not talking about the place. I'm talking about you and me, having fun, in love, and in complete bliss."

"I know." Maura gave her girlfriend another quick peck. "You really are staying in a fun place, but the being in love part goes wherever we go. So the two combined right now are pretty perfect. Now how about we cash out and go meet your roommate?"

The soldier smiled brightly and stood up with Maura still in her lap. Dropping her gently, she took her hand and walked out of the casino. Pulling out her cell she texted Carrie and told her to meet them at King Tut's Cafe.

Maura was leaning in close to Jane, their hands clasped under the table, talking when Carrie walked into the cafe. She looked around until she spotted Jane next to a pretty blonde, obviously engrossed with whatever they were discussing. She marched over and plopped down in the chair in front of them. "When Jane said you were gorgeous, she never mentioned how the word doesn't even do you justice."

Maura glanced up at Carrie and smiled. "Carrie, I presume."

The brunette grinned and nodded. "Yep. Nice to meet you, Maura." She reached out and shook the animal doctor's hand.

Jane grinned. "Yeah but I do see that your starting to get a bit red. Did you forget the sunblock?"

"Totally." Carrie chuckled.

Maura obviously looked confused. "Sunblock?"

The brunette laughed and turned toward her girlfriend. "Carrie had asked me if you were as hot as I was. I told her that you were so hot you'd give her a sun burn the moment you entered a room."

"Oh." Maura's cheeks turned slightly pink as she spoke a little sheepishly. "I wouldn't say I'm that attractive. You're the one who has amazing bone structure and musculature." She whispered to Jane with a smirk.

"Well you don't have the gift of looking at you all the time." She grinned, so I guess you would assume I'm more attractive." She chuckled then turned to Carrie. "Alright girl, what's good to eat here?"

"Everything. You can literally pick anything off the menu and it'll be amazing. Surprising for a casino cafe, I know." Carrie grinned, watching Maura look over the menu for a moment before turning her attention back to Jane.

"Well the bacon cheeseburger sounds good to me." Jane laughed and looked at Maura knowing she would have something to say about it.

"Bad cholesterol is among the leading causes of clogged arteries which can lead to heart disease." Maura glanced up at Jane and gave her a light smile. "Sorry, I know you love your bacon cheeseburgers, but they're full of bad cholesterol and I happen to enjoy having you around."

Jane grinned "Yes but if this cheeseburger kills me, I'll die happy." She chuckled then kissed her cheek.

Maura huffed and rolled her eyes but smiled as she leaned into Jane more, taking hold of her hand under the table. Carrie watched them with an amused grin. "You two are cute."

xxx

The weekend went by too quickly. Soon Jane was standing in the airport with Maura, waiting for her departure back to Texas. "I really don't want to let you go."

"I really wish you could just come with me." Maura set her bag down and wrapped her arms around Jane's waist, pulling her in close for a tight hug, her cheek resting on the soldier's shoulder. "I'm going to miss you so much. Again."

"Me too baby." Jane rested her chin on Maura's head. "I'm going to miss you too. I'll be home sooner than you think and we'll be one big happy family again." Her arms tightened around her girlfriend. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too." Maura pulled back after a moment just to lean in and kiss Jane deeply, not caring if anyone watched. It was the last chance she'd have for awhile and she wanted something memorable.

After Maura had to walk through the gate, Jane went to the window and watched the plane take off. She wanted so badly to forget about therapy and take her chances, but she was staying behind for Maura. For their future.

**Finally got another chapter uploaded. **

**We've got a few going at the moment but of course having fun with all of them lol**

**Thoughts on this chap?**


	12. Chapter 12

Maura didn't have anyone to greet her at the airport, but Jake was the first to greet her when she got back to the ranch, the German shepherd running to her full speed. She smiled and rubbed his head as he pounced on her, trying to give her loving kisses. "Hi, boy! Jane sends her love."****

The dog seemed even more pleased with the news and Maura made sure to pay him tons of attention before walking up to the house, her father on the porch. "Hi, Dad."

"Hey, sweetheart." He stood and hugged his daughter tightly. "I'm glad you're home. How was the visit and how is Jane doing?"

"It was good, and Jane's doing well. She seems to be improving but still has a ways to go." She squeezed him a bit tighter and then let go to step back. "She doesn't have the easiest coworker to deal with."

Ryan looked at her with a raised brow. "Did she snap around you?"

Maura shook her head vehemently. "Oh no, she didn't. She only got upset once while I was there and it was completely justified. This... ass wouldn't leave us alone."

"The co-worker I'm assuming?" He asked and escorted Maura inside as well as Jake.

"That'd be one assumption that's correct." She smiled as she followed her father in, Jake right behind her. "So how were things here while I was gone?"

"Things were good. Finally round up that wild beast Brock and Jane were trying to catch." He smiled. "We got a new agent too. Her name is Addie. I believe she's a good fit." Ryan said as he poured his daughter and himself some tea before giving Jake water.

Maura grabbed her cup as she took a seat, pulling it closer. "All that in less than three days time? You guys certainly kept busy." She took a sip of her tea and reached down to scratch behind Jake's ears. "So when do I get to meet Addie?"

"Yes we have." He chuckled. "And she's actually coming to the Ranch today. Anytime now actually."

"Ah." Maura smiled and took a sip, holding her hand out to stop her father from getting up when there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it. I can only imagine who it is." She smirked and headed to the living room, opening the door for the new agent. "Hello, you must be Addie."

A cute shorter woman with cinnamon colored hair grinned and extended her hand. "You are correct. Addie Silverman."

Maura smiled politely and took Addie's hand to shake. "Maura Isles. Nice to meet you." She stepped back and held the door open wider for the girl. "Come on in. My father's in the kitchen."

"Ah, you're Maura. I've heard many good things about you." She grinned and walked inside and straight to the kitchen. "Mr. Isles, so good to see you again."

"Hey, Addie." Ryan smiled. "I see you've met my daughter. Would you like a cup of iced tea?" He asked as he moved to get the pitcher back out of the fridge.

"I would love some, thank you." She sat down at the table across from where he was sitting. "So, what is my first act of duty as your agent? Do I need to clean up what the prior agent left?"

"That would be an excellent start." Ryan said as he grabbed a cup from the cabinet and poured the tea. "We had a fantastic rider lined up for Derecho before Mason scared him off. If you could get him back, that'd be great." He turned and set the cup in front of her before retaking his seat, Maura quietly drinking her tea as she listened.

"I can definently get him back. Just give me his name and number and I'll have him back on Derecho by tomorrow." She smiled and sipped her tea. "Mm I've missed Texas and its tea." Addie giggled.

Ryan nodded and smiled, turning to wash out his cup.

Maura cocked a brow as she leaned forward to set her glass down on the table. "So you've been out of state for awhile? Are you from Texas originally?"

"I am. I have family right down the road from ya'll. I had to move up to Kentucky for a while to train with the best. I started out a rider and grew to be an agent."

"That's interesting." Maura said genuinely. "So how'd you end up going from being a rider to being an agent?"

"I worked for it. I'm surprised you haven't heard of me. I was practically unbeatable. My horse Grand Master Illusion and I were quite a team." SHe chuckled. "Between races I would study all I would have to know to advance my career. Finally I passed all the tests needed and became what I am today."

"Sorry, I treat horses but I don't personally pay much attention to the sport. I didn't really pay attention to any sports until I started dating Jane." She smiled. "So being an agent was an ambition of yours? I was afraid that maybe you'd gotten hurt and couldn't ride anymore, but it sounds like you knew exactly what you wanted and worked hard for it."

"Jane?" She tilted her head. "Oh yes it was an ambition." She chuckled. "So what do you do here?"

"I'm a veterinarian. I have my own clinic but I also treat my father's horses." Maura took a sip of her tea and then brought the conversation back to her favorite person. "Jane's my girlfriend. She used to be a ranch hand here but is in Nevada right now."

"Oh I hope she's not there to stay, I can tell you really care about her." She smiled. "I had a Jane back in Kentucky that I had the biggest crush on."

"I do." Maura smiled brightly. "And she'll be back. She's just working a few things out. So you had a Jane of your own, huh?" She asked, propping her elbow on the table and resting her chin in her hand. "So did it ever move past just a crush?"

"It did, she knew I liked her and we kissed... a lot but other than that we didn't do anything else." She grinned thinking back to it. "Jane was the best kisser. I mean she could get me off just like that and only that." Addie shivered just thinking about it.

Maura arched a brow, noticing Addie's visible reaction to the memory. "She sounds very... talented." She grinned. "My Jane is an amazing kisser, too. And her voice..." Maura took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Well, it's toe curling all on its own." The veterinarian was so glad her dad had left the room minutes ago.

"Don't get me started on her voice." She grinned then looked at Maura with a furrowed brow. "But I lost contact with her after she almost killed my boyfriend at the time. He was abusive and she was my out. My sanctuary." She sighed. "Eddie framed Jane and made it seem like she beat me and then went after him. She didn't even say goodbye..."

Maura opened her mouth to speak but quickly clamped her mouth shut, wondering if it really could be. Addie's Jane sounded an awfully lot like her own. After a moment of just mulling it over, she finally spoke. "I'm sorry you didn't even get to say a farewell. But, Addie, what was Jane's last name?"

"I really don't know." She shrugged. "But anyway I better get started on this client your father wants back in the saddle." She smiled and took the information she previously got. "I'll see you tomorrow." Addie gave Maura a smile and headed out.

Maura remained frozen in her spot at the table for a moment, a little dumbfounded. Addie may not have remembered her last name, but she was damn sure the agent's Jane was her Jane. She got up to wash her glass out and then walked with Jake back to her cabin, cuddling with him on the couch to watch a movie while she waited for Jane to call when she got off work.

"Ash... I wouldn't mess with her today. Someone backed into her bike earlier and she's pissed. If you want to keep your face from getting any uglier I'd avoid her." Scott warned.

"Oh fuck off, Scotty. Don't be such a pansy. If the bitch wants to stick her nose in business where it don't belong, like getting yet another complaint filed against me, then she's just gonna have to deal with the consequences." He ignored his coworker as he headed off toward Jane, whispering in her ear as he passed by. "Did ya get a threesome while your girlfriend was here?"

Jane closed her eyes tightly and ignored him, however she was strangling the pen she was holding.

"So has your girlfriend always just been into chicks? Because I could show her what a real man's capable of. I'd have that pretty little blonde screaming out my name and begging for more." He laughed, making rude gestures.

With that, all Jane saw was red. "Respect, mother fucker! Its not hard to learn." She gripped his shirt and in an instant picked him up, then slammed Ash down on the tiled floor. "You need to shut the fuck up when your co-worker warns you to or you're gonna get yourself killed!"

"Why!? Because you're gonna kill me? I've heard you're a psycho bitch and you're really proving it." Ash yelled from the floor, slowly moving to get back up. "I could sue you for that, bitch. At least get ya fired."

The boss had come out of the back and witnessed, along with Scott and a couple customers, Jane slam him back down on the floor and beat his face in.

Dave, the manager, rushed over to the two and worked to get Jane off Ash, Scott having to help him because she was just that strong. "Jane, stop! Get away from him!"

"I'm sick of his mouth and it's time someone shut him up!" She said and struggled to get out of their grasp.

"Just stop it!" Dave yelled, struggling with her. "I need you to leave, Jane."

Unfortunately, someone had already called the police. One of the customers who'd only witnessed the physical response from Jane.

Breaking free of their grip she held her hands up. "Fine." She looked at her busted knuckles and sighed at the set back. When she turned to leave, two officers stepped in.

"That's her!" The customer yelled and pointed at the woman.

The officers glanced at the bloody and beaten Ash, who was being helped by his co-workers, and then looked Jane over, noticing the blood on her knuckles. They approached, one holding out his cuffs. "Ma'am, you're gonna have to come with us."

Jane looked at them and swallowed hard. She was being arrested. Who knows how long it would be now before she could get home to Maura. Putting her hands behind her back she allowed them to cuff her and read her rights before she got in the back of the cruiser.

Once Jane was at the jail and booked in, all of her pockets emptied out, the officer gave her five minutes for one call. And he stood right next to her as she dialed.

They one person she knew she didn't feel like a burden to. Her brother Frankie. "Frankie.. It's Jane. I'm in Las Vegas and I'm in jail. I need your help."

"What happened, Janie? I haven't heard from you in months." Frankie's voice was kind, understanding. He knew how his sister lost her cool from time to time.

"I know and I'm sorry but I lost my cool again and beat a guy up. Now I'm in jail. The rest is a long story."

"I'm curious as to why you beat this guy up, but I know you probably only have like five minutes to talk so... where do I need to be in Vegas and how much do I need to bring? I've got some vacation time coming, nothing like spending it in Vegas."

"I'm at the Nevada Jail and I'm not sure how much. Judge hasn't set bail yet." Jane sighed, seeing the guard tap his watch. "I have to go, Frankie, but thank you so much. I love you."

"Love ya, too, sis. I'll be there soon." And then Frankie hung up.

"Well, Ms. Rizzoli, ready to go in the holding tank?" The deputy asked.

"Not really..." She sighed. "But will I be alone in there?"

He laughed. "Definitely not. You'll only be joining about six other women in there." He grinned and herded her in that direction, unlocking the tank door and pulling it open. "In you go."

Stepping inside, Rizzoli looked at the women, silently, before taking a seat on the nearest bench against the wall.

"So whatcha in for?" One of them asked, the others not really paying much attention to Jane, too preoccupied with their own shit.

"Beat'n a guy's face in." Was Jane's simple answer.

"And what'd you beat his face in for?" Michelle asked as she leaned forward, watching Jane.

"He disrespected my girlfriend." Her eyes cut up toward the woman sitting there in front of her on the opposite bench.

"Probably one of those assholes that thinks he has a golden dick, right? That he can just turn lesbians straight, calling them defective when that shit don't work."

"Something like that. Ash has been running his mouth for far to long and I snapped..." She looked down and shook her head. "It's going to take forever for me to be released now."

When Maura hadn't heard from Jane, she gave her a call instead, leaving her a voicemail. And when she didn't hear back after a couple of hours, she tried again and even sent a text. Then another hour went by and Maura knew what she'd already felt deep down: something was wrong. Jane never missed a call.

She called the store and, unfortunately, Ash answered. "Hi, I was wondering if Jane Rizzoli is still at work?"

"Jane? I believe she left and had plans with a redhead. So no, Rizzoli isn't at work." Ash grinned, knowing this would fuck Jane up even more.

"Carrie?" Maura asked for clarification. "Any idea what those plans were?" Or why Jane isn't answering her phone? She asked mentally.

"Uh yeah, I think that was her name." Ash sighed, totally in character. "Ma'am I don't know and I don't want to get anyone in trouble if you are her best friend or girlfriend or something but the two were all over each other and said something about having a date night."

All sorts of images ran through Maura's mind of Jane and Carrie together, despite the animal doctor telling herself Jane would never cheat, that Ash was probably full of shit. But if Jane and Carrie weren't off doing something, what exactly was her girlfriend doing? "Uh, thank you. I-I'm sure I'll catch up with her later. Goodbye."

"Can I PLEASE have one more phone call?!" Jane yelled as her arms hung out through the bars. " She had asked three times already but the answer kept being 'No'. Jane was getting pissed. "I need to call my girlfriend!"

"Well you should've used your one phone call to get a hold of her instead of whoever it was you called." The guard said as he walked back over to her. "There are rules and no one's gonna bend 'em for you or anyone else behind those bars."

Her jaws flexed as she tried to hang onto her composure. "When can I get another call then?" Jane asked through her teeth.

"After your initial hearing. If you haven't bonded out by then and are still stuck with us and these other lovely ladies." He chuckled.

Jane closed her eyes tightly then slammed her hand on one of the bars. She hoped Maura didn't hate her for missing the call she knew had already lit her cell up.

xxx

Maura must have poked at the same piece of egg for at least a couple of minutes now, Brock cocking a brow as he watched her. "You okay there, Maura?"

"Hmm?" She asked absentmindedly, finally glancing up.

"Are you okay? You've been abusing that egg for a while, I was just wondering when you were gonna put it out of its misery."

Maura set her fork down and pushed her plate away. "It's already been put out of its misery. Poor thing didn't even have the chance to experience a crappy life cut short to become poultry." She finished her coffee and then stood to walk over to the sink. "I'm just not very hungry."

His soft smile faded, standing up he walked over and placed his hand on her back. "Maura... what's wrong? You know you can tell me."

Maura sighed and dropped the silverware she'd just been washing into the sink. "It's probably nothing, I'm probably just being foolish, but... Jane never called last night and I couldn't get a hold of her." She looked over her shoulder at Brock. "Then I called her work just to see if she'd been held over and an employee told me she'd been all over a redhead and left with plans with her. This employee doesn't like Jane, though, so he may just be messing with us, but I'm still worried."

Brock shook his head. "She has anger issues, not loyalty issues. That I know of, anyway. Cheating on you doesn't sound like something Jane would do. She loves the hell outta ya. If this guy doesn't like her then maybe he's just trying to ruin her life." He shrugged. "I say give it a couple of days and if you still get no word from Jane then fly back out there and see for yourself."

"I have no idea why I'm letting this bother me so much. I know you're right. It's just... being so far from Jane has been hard. I know it's temporary, I hope it is, but still." Maura shook her head. "Nevermind." She forced a smile for Brock. "I'll give it a couple of days like you suggested and then go back out there if I don't hear anything."

"Everything will be okay." Brock smiled sweetly. "She loves you and I doubt Jane can survive longer than 24 hours without talking to ya."

But Jane did - well, in Maura's mind - survive without talking to her in 24 hours. The veterinarian started to make preparations for heading back out to Nevada, not expecting a knock at her door and definitely not expecting Addie to be on the other side of it.

Addie smiled. "Hi." She grinned. "I was able to get the jockey back that your father wanted and he was going to take me to dinner to celebrate and I suggested that I ask you to come with. Would you like to?"

"Uh," Maura started hesitantly, before smiling and nodding. "Sure. Would you like to come in for a moment while I wrap some things up?" She asked, holding the door open.

Addie smiled and walked in. "Sure." She shut the door for Maura and looked around. "Are you going on vacation?" She asked looking at the suitcases.

"Well, sort of." Maura said as she sat back down at her computer to order the plane ticket. "I'm going to go visit Jane in Las Vegas for just a little bit."

"Oh. So why is she..." When Maura flashed the website up, Addie had caught a glimpse of the desktop picture. "Uh.. Maura would you mind showing the picture on your desktop?"

Maura looked over at Addie and tilted her head curiously, like a puppy. She shook her head as she spoke. "No, I don't mind." She minimized the website so that Addie could see her background clearly.

The photo Maura took while on the boat awaiting to get in the ocean with the sharks, Jane kissing the blonde's cheek, was now visible. Addie's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. "That... that's her. Jane. That's my Jane."

Maura's gut feeling had been correct and now, she didn't really know what to say. Not right away. "Are you sure? I mean, it is a side view picture. Perhaps you're just seeing what you want to see?" She asked, hopeful and in denial.

"Well do you have any other pictures?"

Maura took a deep breath and then nodded. "Yes." She stood and walked around Addie to go grab her phone from the coffee table, pulling a photo up as she slowly made her way back to the other woman, handing over her phone. "Is that your Jane?"

Addie looked at the photo and swallowed hard as she ran her thumb over the soldier's face. "Yes." Looking up to Maura, with tears in her eyes. "That's her."

Maura looked from her phone - where she watched Addie trace Jane's face - to the jockey agent with a hard to conceal look of concern. How many women had Jane met over the years and left? "And she just left you? Without a goodbye?"

Addie looked back down at the picture and nodded before handing it back to Maura. "Yeah..." Looking back up to the other woman she questioned. "Why is Jane in Nevada?"

"She's there to get help for her PTSD. She had a couple of episodes while she was here and determined that she needed help."

Addie sighed. "That would explain a lot." Sitting down on the arm of the couch she spoke again. "I don't want you to worry, I-I loved her once but if what you and her have is true and real, I wont try anything to steal her away."

"It is real." Maura said, looking right at Addie while she crossed her arms. "I love Jane very much, and I know she loves me. I'm not worried about you stealing her away from me."

Addie held her hands up. "There's no need to get hostile, Maura. I'm not the bad guy here."

Maura sighed and lowered her arms. "I know and I'm sorry. I'm just really on edge right now."

"I have a feeling its not just because your Jane was once my Jane."

Maura shook her head. "It's not. I haven't heard from Jane in the last couple of days and I'm getting worried. That's why I'm flying there."

"Oh no. Well when is your flight? I'm sure your father would understand if you didn't come to dinner tonight." She shifted in her seat. "Did something happen with the two of you to make her run without saying goodbye? Or do you think something may have happened to her?"

"I think something may have happened to her. I don't what, and I hope she isn't hurt, but I just can't see her running away now. Not after everything we've been through. I'm flying out first thing in the morning. It's the soonest I could get."

xxx

"You're bond has been paid, Rizzoli." Jane stood up and saw Frankie walk up beside the guard. With a huge grin on her face, she practically tackled her brother when she came from behind the bars. Jane kissed his cheek and hugged him again. "Thank you."

Frankie chuckled and wrapped his arms around his sister tight. "We really need to stop having miniature family reunions like this. It'd be great if you came home for a nice, normal visit." He stepped back then but smiled. "Still it's good to see ya, Sis. I don't know about you but I'm starving."

Jane smiled and nodded. "I'm famished." Taking a deep breath she let it out, "I've got a few things to tell you but first I need to find a way to get that asshole to drop the charges." The soldier said as she walked out with Frankie.

"I could always do some digging." Frankie said as they headed out to his rental. "See if he's got anything he's trying to hide and threaten to expose it. The things I do for you..." He shook his head as he unlocked the car and opened his door. "I swear, Janie, you're a bad influence." He smirked.

"This is why I love you, brotha." Jane grinned and got in the car. "Eh, I'm still better than Tommy when he ran over the priest." She shut her door and buckled up. "I found someone..."

Frankie smiled and set his hand on Jane's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "I'm glad to hear that, Sis. I hope I get to meet her fairly soon since she sounds like a keeper. So what's her name? How'd you meet?" He asked as he started the car and backed out, driving out of the parking garage.

"I hope you do too. I need to call Maura and tell her what happened but I lost my cell and I don't know her number." She sighed. "Jake and I were walking and when we became tired we stopped by this ranch and found shelter and a job."

"And let me guess? You met Maura there and she was beautiful and intriguing and quickly captured your heart?" Frankie smirked, glancing quickly at Jane before turning his eyes back to the road. "We'll just have to figure out a way to contact your girl without that phone."

"Oh yeah. Sweet Texas girl. I'm not good enough for her but she loves me anyway."

"You cut yourself short. But I'm still excited to meet her." Frankie drove Jane to a little diner and bought her some lunch where they caught up before taking her over to Carrie's, following her directions to get there. When they walked inside, the younger Rizzoli behind his sister, a redhead and a blonde stood to face them. "Hi." Maura spoke first.

"Maura?" Jane's voice broke slightly right before she captured the woman in her arms and hugged her tightly. Pulling back slightly, she kissed her. "You're here?"

Neither Carrie nor Frankie bothered to look away, each interested in their person's significant other.

Maura sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and nodded. "I'm here. When I didn't hear from you for a couple of days, I got worried."

"I'm so sorry, baby. I got arrested and lost my phone. Ash got what was coming to him." She sighed. "Now I just got to get him to drop the charges so I can go home with you." The back of her fingers caressed Maura's cheek.

Maura's eyes fluttered closed at the contact for a moment before she opened them again and leaned back. "If you get him to drop the charges, will you really be coming back, or will you stay here even longer to work on your therapy?"

"I'm coming home to you. I can't stay away anymore. I miss you and I miss Jake." She looked into her eyes. "Maura..." She looked to the redhead and smiled softly. "Carrie, this is my brother, Frankie." She turned and looked at her sibling with a smirk.

Maura smiled brightly, and once Jane's attention had returned to her, the animal doctor leaned in and kissed the former soldier soundly. "You have no idea how happy I am you're coming home. I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too." Jane kissed Maura once more. "I love Boston and my family but there is no more wandering for me because I've found my home in you."

Frankie and Carrie had made their way to each other and were now chatting, the younger Rizzoli waiting for Maura and Jane to get all the PDA out of their system before introducing himself.

When the affection was to a minimal, Jane walked Maura over to Frankie and Carrie.

Frankie smiled and held his hand out to the blonde. "Hi, I'm Jane's little brother Frankie."

Maura smiled in return and took Frankie's hand to shake. "Hi, Frankie. It's nice to meet you."

Jane smiled. "How about we all go out for drinks?" She asked. "Lil bro I think there's a Soxs game on tonight."

"Then I'm in." Frankie smiled. "Actually, I would've been in even without the game just to have the chance to get to know Maura and Carrie here, but... the game makes it all even better." He smirked. "On you, Jane." He chuckled before linking his arm with Maura's and guiding her out the front door, already asking her questions.

Carrie grinned at Jane. "You get tossed in jail and still you get tons of kisses from your girl. What's your secret?" She asked as they followed the other two.

Jane laughed. "Honestly, I'm just damn lucky." She smiled.

Once at Bailey's, Jane walked in hand in hand with Maura and found a table near the pool tables.

The four sat and chatted as they waited for the waitress, breaking off into more private conversations after they got their beers. Frankie and Carrie had actually hit it off right from the beginning and Maura was glad for the time she had to speak with Jane more one-on-one.

"So what happened? With Ash?"

"He pushed me too far. Saying things about you that really set me off. Once I hit him I couldn't stop. Someone called the cops and well I was arrested."

Maura nodded. "Yes, Ash does seem like the type to press buttons. But you really shouldn't let what anyone says about me get you into trouble. I had all sorts of images running through my head as to where you were and what you were doing. Needless to say I was worried."

"I'm sorry babe. I didn't mean to worry you. But I'm okay and hopefully the charges will be dropped. Scott witnessed it so maybe he can testify for me." She shrugged.

"Maybe. Hopefully we'll convince Ash to drop the charges so Scott won't have to testify." Maura sighed. "Any ideas how to do that, though?"

"Frankie is actually a detective at BPD so he said he would do some digging to find an ugly truth Ash doesn't want exposed."

"What if he doesn't have one?" Maura asked.

"Then... I guess I'll be a run away fugitive because I'm not going to be separated from you again."

Maura shook her head but smiled. "We'll come up with something so you don't have to be. I'll help in any way I can."

Leaning in, Jane kissed her softly. "I love you."

"And I love you." Maura smiled a little wider and kissed Jane again before sitting back, Frankie poking his sister in the side.

"Enough with the smooching already." He teased.

She laughed. "Until you have a woman as perfect as Maura, that you can actually keep your hands and lips off of, you don't get to tell me when enough is enough." She shoved him playfully.

Frankie laughed and then looked over at Maura. "She really does adore you, she doesn't talk like this about just any girl." He smiled, Maura returning it. "So, Maura, what do you do in Texas? Jane didn't tell me exactly how you two met."

"Well..." Maura started the story and Frankie listened closely as Carrie texted Jane.

"So your brother? Single right?"

Jane chuckled. "Yup, he is. Lives in Boston tho."

"Oh, that's okay. Just needed to be sure he's unattached so that I can have him for at least one evening." She grinned when she caught Jane's eye.

Jane raised a brow then looked at her brother. "Usually I would be against someone using my brother for just a night but as long as he's up for it... go for it." She texted back.

"I'd take good care of him. I promise. You Rizzoli kids have some good genetics." She shot back.

"Smh" She chuckled and shook her head as she set her phone down and looked back at her love.

Feeling Jane's gaze on her, Maura's eyes flickered over to her girlfriend, the veterinarian smiling just for the former soldier. By the time the night had come to an end, Maura and Frankie had talked for hours, the younger Rizzoli also getting in plenty of chat time with the redhead.

Carrie and Frankie when back to her place and Jane and Maura found a nice hotel room to stay at. Walking in, Jane pulled Maura close, running her finger through her soft blonde hair. "Just wait til you meet the rest of my family. Frankie is the calm one."

"Really? Then I really can't wait to meet them." Maura smiled and pulled Jane closer to kiss her. She slid her hands up to the sides of Jane's neck and deepened the embrace, just wanting to forget about the past few days.

Snaking her arms around the petite waist, Jane backed Maura up to the bed and fell down with her. They made love feverishly for almost two hours. Finally just holding Maura in her arms, she spoke. "So what did you think happened when you couldn't get a hold of me?"

"I thought maybe you'd gotten hurt or had had another episode and hurt someone else. After a couple of days, I thought maybe something had bothered you to the point that you'd disappeared on me." Maura answered, honestly. Omitting the concerns of her and Carrie.

"Maura, just remember that I love you more than I've ever loved anyone else. It would take you telling me to leave and stay away for me to ever truly disappear on you."

Maura sat up and pulled the cover up over her as she leaned against the headboard. "I want to believe that, Jane, but..." She sighed softly. "Do you remember Addie Silverman?"

Jane looked up at Maura with worried eyes, slowly sitting up. "H-how do you know about her?"

"Well, she was at the ranch when I left. She's working for my father now, as his new jockey agent." Maura said, hearing and seeing the worry in Jane, which in turn caused her to begin to panic internally.

"How much do you know?" Jane swallowed hard. She was worried now, she didn't want the feelings she once had for the woman to come back to the surface when she saw Addie again.

"She told me that she fell in love with you, that you two would steal kisses. She had an abusive boyfriend and you were her, quote, 'sanctuary.'" Maura watched Jane's reaction closely. "She said you just left her without a goodbye after beating the crap out of her no good boyfriend. She didn't know you were my Jane as she was telling me most of this. Not until she saw a photo of us together."

Jane looked down and sighed heavily. "There's something I haven't told you..." She whispered. "I'm already a fugitive. I left Kentucky before they could arrest me. I didn't have time to say goodbye and I couldn't contact her in fear they would find me through tapped phone lines. I couldn't chance it." Looking up at Maura she waited for the reaction. "I'm sorry."

Maura scowled, clearly not happy. "Is that the only reason you left Addie and didn't bother try going back for her? Because you didn't want to get caught? Because she loved you, Jane. I think she still does."

Jane took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah." She ran her fingers through her mane. "What am I going to do when I go back with you?"

"I don't know. That's up to you. At this moment, I don't really care." Maura said as she climbed out of bed and began to dress.

"Maura... wait." She swallowed hard and got out of bed with the sheet wrapped around her. "What can I do? What can I say that'll make this up to you?"

Maura pulled her shirt over her head and then turned to face her girlfriend. "Right now, I think I just need my space." She replied harshly. "I just found out that my girlfriend is a wanted fugitive who abandoned someone she cared about to save herself. It was selfish, Jane. I'm beginning to wonder just how many girls there were during your travels. How many hearts you've broken. Because you promised me you'd treat me better than any of the others and yet you've hurt me more than any of them." Despite her obvious anger, there was a deep hurt there, and Maura was fighting back tears by the end of it.

"Maura, I love you more than anything or anyone in or out of my life. Baby, I'm not leaving you know matter what because you are where I belong. I found my home. I found my life. I found it all in you. Please, I never meant to hurt you." Jane had her own tears falling.

Maura wiped her eyes and grabbed her purse. "I just need some time alone." She turned and headed out the door, slamming it behind her without looking back.

**Ohhhhh Janie's in trouble!**

**Another cliffhanger for ya.**

**Reviews are R&I babies! Just sayin'**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:: Sorry I confused all of you by having part of my OUAT story in here lol. I was doing two stories at once and well I got a bit confused myself. So I'm reuploading this chapter for the people that started reading, it but didn't get to finish due to me deleting, and the ones that need to read it.  
Hope its to your liking :) Enjoy**

"Fuck!" She screamed, slamming her fist against the wall after Maura stormed out. Things went from amazing to horribly bad all in the matter of minutes. Sliding down the wall, Jane sat there for the longest time before getting up and dressed and heading out to the casino to blow off some steam.

A couple of sleazy guys hit on the former soldier as she played the slots, but for the most part, she was left alone with the exception of cocktail waitresses who would stop by and see if she wanted a drink. It was a busy night and everything seemed to be going well until a shot was fired into the air, a man standing near the entrance with a handgun. "Alright. You wanna live, you cooperate."

Jane turned in her seat and immediately started assessing the situation. The only weapon on her person was a legal switch blade. She would use it if she had to. Standing up she saw the leader and two other men walk in the casino. Everyone was screaming and scrambling around, except for Jane. Pulling out her hair tie she pulled her hair into a bun, getting ready for a fight.

One man moved to cover the other exit while the third began to walk around, collecting wallets and jewelry into a big bag. The leader was the only one to speak. "You hand over your money and your valuables without incident and you'll be free to go. You cause trouble and we won't hesitate to shoot you. Tonight, we're gonna be the ones who leave as winners."

"You won't be leaving at all." Jane whispered. Her eyes looked around, making sure she knew where each one of the men were.

The man collecting items came up to her then, the two hidden from view by the slot machines. "Alright, lady, give me your stuff."

"No." Jane said sternly. She had a plan she was going to wing.

Trevor shoved the gun into Jane's face. "I told you to hand it over, bitch. Now! I won't ask again nicely."

Jane simply gave the man a smirk right before she grabbed the gun slammed her elbow down on his forearm, breaking it, then right in the nose. Catching him in her arms, Jane was able to drag Trevor without being seen by the other two and rolled him under a few machines. Putting his gun in the front of her jeans, Jane covered it up with her shirt. The customer that was beside her at the slots was totally impressed but he kept quiet.

After a few minutes, Randall realized Trevor was gone and began yelling out for him, along with warnings to the crowd. "You better hand him over or I'll start shooting ya one by one!"

"He had to take a shit so I told him where the john was." Jane yelled out and walked around the machines to catch the leader's eyes.

Randall pointed the gun at the brunette, his jaw clenched tightly. "You, come here now. You obviously know something."

Jane walked forward, all eyes on the two. "Yeah, I just told you he had a ground hog coming out his ass. When you gotta go, you gotta go."

"Shut up!" Randall yelled, getting in Jane's face and pressing the gun against her chest. "Where. Is. He?" He asked.

Jane started chuckling then pointed. "Over there." When he looked, she snapped and turned the gun in his hand and stole it from him, aiming it right at his head. "I suggest you leave or you'll end up with the same fate as your buddy."

Randall clenched his jaw tightly and then yelled his partner's name loudly, the sound of a gun going off filling the air, the crowd screaming and beginning to stampede to the front exit.

With a loud painful yell, Jane went to her knees. She fired the gun into both of Randall's thighs then spun to pop the other robber in the middle of the forehead. Moving back, she leaned against the nearest slot machine and held her bicep. Somewhere in the middle of all of it, someone finally hit the silent alarm and the LVPD start rushing through the doors.

Randall was crumpled up in pain and it didn't take long for the police to scoop him up off the floor. One young officer got down on a knee in front of Jane, picking up the gun with a gloved hand and looking over her wound. "It doesn't look too serious, but I'm gonna get the EMT in here for ya."

Jane nodded. "As long as I'm not being arrested."

Officer Garrett shook his head. "No, we already have a pretty good idea of what happened and you're not on our list. Not yet, at least. We'll see, so don't go too far in the next few days."

"With a gun shot, ma'am, we'd rather take you to the hospital just in case than not take you and have you drop later. Just to be sure the damage isn't any worse than it looks." The EMT assured, climbing in and shutting the door behind him.

Jane sighed and rode with the EMTs to the hospital. After an hour and a half she was hooked up with Ivs after getting patched up. Laying back in her bed, the personnel called Jane's emergency contact.

"Hello, is this Ms. Isles?"

"Yes, this is she." Maura said as she continued to pack her bag back up. After her earlier disagreement with Jane, she knew she didn't want to stay in the same hotel room, hell, maybe even the same hotel as the former soldier. A part of her just wanted to go back to Texas and put some distance between them. She was that upset, that hurt, that unsettled by what she had learned this evening.

"Hi, this is Amanda Mongro from Las Vegas General Hospital. Jane Rizzoli has you listed as her emergency contact."

"Shot?" Maura wondered what in the hell Jane had gotten herself into to get shot. "I'll be there soon. She'll have someone to help her get home safely." The blonde said as she grabbed her purse and headed for the door.

When Maura got there, Jane was out cold. She tried to fight off he drowsiness but just couldn't win.

The veterinarian sat with Jane and held her hand until the doctor came in to give her more details and explain how to clean and dress the wound, though Maura already had that part figured out. When he discharged the former solider, Maura was the first person she saw.

"Maur? I thought you were made at me. I-I didn't expect to see you so soon." She reached for her hand slowly. "Though I'm not complaining."

Maura let Jane take her hand, but didn't give it any squeeze or anything like that to indicate affection or tenderness. "I am still mad at you, but I got a call that you were shot and had to make sure you were okay."

"I'm okay." She slowly sat up and moved her legs off the bed to start getting dressed again. "After you left, I went to the casino to blow off some steam. It happened to get robbed. I stood up for everyone and myself." She shrugged slightly.

"You could've gotten yourself killed. The doctor told me it was just you versus three armed men." Maura sighed and stood. "I know you were used to those odds overseas, but it could've gone a lot differently here without men to back you up and a weapon already in hand."

"If something would have happened, I would have gone down fighting. Better me than all those other people."

"That's idiotic, Jane." Maura said looking right at the former soldier. It wasn't the way she'd normally speak to anyone, let alone someone she loved, but she was just getting more and more frustrated by her girlfriend. "What made anyone in that room more important than you, huh? You have people who love you, who care about you, who want you alive and kicking just like the rest."

"Because I was a damn soldier. I know what I'm doing and what it'll take to bring someone down. Whether I had to do it alone or with ten men. I'm someone that knew what she was doing in that room, whether I was blurred by the anger at myself or not." Pulling her shirt on and her pants up, Jane took Maura's hands in hers. "I love you and I'm so sorry that I never told you about Addie. There's nothing I can do to change what I did but I can promise you that I'll never to it to you. You're my universe, Maura. Without you... I'm nothing."

"I just don't know if I can trust you right now. How am I supposed to know Addie was never your whole universe like I supposedly am now? There's so much you haven't opened up to me about and I've tried being understanding and patient. But I just don't know how much more I can take right now." Maura said with tear filled eyes.

"There's no way for me to prove to you that I was never in love with her. There's no way to remember everything I've gone through and everything I've done right now, but I will try my damnedest to make you believe me when I say you are where I'm staying." Her own eyes had tears threatening to fall. "I love you so fuckin' much, Maura. I just wanna go home. To Texas with you." Walking up close to her girlfriend, Jane placed her hand on the side of her neck. "Please. Please forgive me."

"I still want you to come home with me, Jane, but I'm also going to need some time to just think things over, okay? I love you so much it hurts sometimes. That's why I have to be sure." Maura had to see Jane with Addie, how she responded, before she allowed herself to fully trust the soldier again. She couldn't allow herself to believe in a false comfort if Jane was just going to break her heart and devastate her.

"I understand." Leaning forward, Jane kissed Maura's head gently. "Lets just get out of here and you can do whatever you want once I'm back at the hotel." She noticed the sun was up.

"How about I take you back to Carrie's instead and you start packing up to head home with me?" Maura asked as she walked out into the hospital hallway with her girlfriend, leading her to the elevator and out of the building to a waiting taxi.

Jane nodded. "Okay but the charges still have to be dropped before I can leave."

Maura closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I forgot about Ash in the middle of all this. I'll talk to him. Perhaps I can persuade him to drop those charges."

"Take Frankie with you. I don't trust Ash."

Maura nodded and rode with Jane back to the hotel, figuring one night in the same room as her rocky lover wouldn't kill her. The veterinarian didn't say much else as she changed into something more comfortable and slipped back under the covers to enjoy at least a couple more hours of sleep.

Jane didn't say anything or do anything towards Maura. She was silent and just glad the blonde wasn't leaving her. With the meds still running through her body, the former soldier was still exhausted. Stripping down to just her boyshorts and white tank top, she moved into the bed. Laying on her side she pulled the covers up over her eyes to block out the sun."

Maura awoke to a light tapping at the door the next morning. Climbing out of bed in a pair of shorts and a tee, she took a quick peak through the peep hole and then opened the door to Frankie, who greeted her with a smile. "Thanks for letting me know about Jane last night. She's prone to getting herself in messes, but I'm always worried there'll be a day she doesn't get herself out of one."

Maura nodded and leaned against the door as she spoke quietly. "I know exactly what you mean and I haven't known Jane nearly as long as you have. So did you find anything on Ash?"

Frankie grinned. "I did actually. I got in touch with a male that was listed in Ash's paperwork where they had a misdemeanor charge together, and well we got to talking and Brent happened to mention they were lovers. I'm pretty sure Ash has hidden that little fact because he didn't want to let it be known to the public."

"Ohhhh." Maura smiled as she thought it over. "Perhaps that's partially why he gave Jane such a hard time. He was trying to hide the fact he's gay, perhaps even deny it to himself, and was lashing out at other members of the LGBT community. We should use psychology against him."

"Psychology?" He smirked. "What did you have in mind?"

"Manipulating his greatest fear. Are you a good actor, Frankie?" Maura asked with a cocked brow.

Frankie's brow shot up. "Uh.. what are you about to ask me to do?"

"You're a good looking guy. If you could just hit on Ash and get him to flirt back, I could video tape it. In other words, we'd be blackmailing him." She said straightforward.

"We could do that." He looked over Maura's shoulder at his sleeping sister. "Wanna just leave Jane here? Think she'll be okay?"

"Sure." He smiled and closed the door once he stepped back out to give her privacy.

"You're leaving?" Jane asked a few minutes later, groggy.

"Yes." Maura said softly as she pulled out some clothes and began to dress. "Frankie and I have come up with a plan for dealing with Ash."

"Oh. That's good. What do you have on him?" Jane yawned and cuddled up with Maura's pillow.

"He likes guys. Frankie is going to go undercover of sorts and seduce him. Then bam. I'll take video and get something.

"Huh. Never saw that coming." Jane smirked. "Let me see the video when you get it. I have to witness that." She chuckled.

"Oh I will." Maura smiled, then remembering she wasn't super thrilled with the former soldier at the moment. "I need to get dressed. Frankie's waiting on me." She walked over to her suitcase and grabbed a few items before heading to the bathroom to change.

Jane had fallen back asleep when Maura went to change. She still felt horrible for what Maura found out.

The veterinarian slipped out of the room quietly, meeting Frankie out in the hall. With a polite exchange of words and smiles, they headed off to find Ash and hopefully get what they needed from him. He was at the store and Maura made sure to keep hidden from view as Frankie put his acting skills to the test.

"Hey man, can I get you to look up what kind of headlights I need for a 2010 Charger?" Frankie asked as he leaned on the desk. When Ash started looking up the make of the car, the detective smirked. "You have great arms. I bet you hear that a lot though."

Ash ceased his typing, subtly glancing around and then slowly looking up at Frankie. "All the time, actually." He grinned. "I get asked to flex and show them off a lot."

"Well, I'll be one of those to ask you to flex for me to I can feel those anacondas." Frankie winked. This was killing him inside.

Ash's grin grew even wider. "How about you meet me out back in five and I'll show you whatever you want?" He whispered.

"Mm honey you got yourself a deal." Frankie grinned and touched his hand.

Maura had to admit, she was impressed with Frankie's performance. She slipped out of the store and made her way to the back, hiding behind a dumpster where she could get a good view of Ash when he came out. Frankie's back was to her so his face wouldn't appear in film.

Frankie came out after Ash did. "Now flex those guns big boy." When he did, Rizzoli moved his hands up his torso and over his biceps. "Mm that's what I like."

"Yeah, well, I'll show you what I like." Ash said as he set his hands on Frankie's waist and leaned in to kiss his neck, Maura catching it all on her phone. She hated using someone's sexuality against them, but Ash was just an asshole.

Frankie hummed softly while throwing the signal behind his back that Maura and him discussed for her to call his cell and get him out of this situation. After a few seconds his cell started to ring, backing up slightly he looked surprised. "Oh no! Mom I'll be right there." He hung up quickly. "Sorry, so sorry but my mother just had a heart attack. I've got to go." He then jogged back around to the front, meeting Maura and got in the car. "NEVER and I repeat NEVER make me do that again. Uhhgg!" He wiped his neck with the collar of his shirt.

Maura laughed, unable to hold it back. "You are suuuch a good brother, Frankie. Jane owes you big time for this." She handed her phone over for Frankie to see, focusing her attention on the road. "Really, though, what you did back there for her makes you pretty wonderful. Not many straight men would go to those lengths. Not even for a loved one."

"Oh she owes me big time but... don't show her that. She'll never let me live down the fact that I was actually good at that acting gig." He chuckled. "I love Jane and... I really miss her."

Maura laughed and nodded, but made no promises. "Well, maybe it's time you two had a good long visit. How long are you going to be in Las Vegas for?"

"Just a couple more days is all. Gotta get back to work and solve some murders. You know, if Jane had never gone to the army she would be a detective too by now."

"I had a feeling Jane was an excellent police officer at one point in her life. She told me a little bit about what happened." Maura said quietly. "If you just have a couple of days here, I'll go ahead and postpone my flight, give you and Jane time together."

"I would like that a lot actually. Thank you, Maura." Frankie smiled. "So tell me, did you and Jane get along when you first met?"

"Jane and I became close very quickly." Maura smiled, remembering their first few days together. "Conversation came so easily for us and there was an attraction from the beginning."

He smiled. "I'm glad she found someone that loves her as much as you obviously do. Jane's had a few that I know of that didn't treat her very well."

"I wasn't in the best relationship when I first met Jane. She helped open my eyes. And she never really spoke about any of her past relationships." A big part of their current problem, she thought. "So what were these people like?"

"'Well the first was in high school, the guy was a real jerk and she found out the hard way. He dated her and brought Jane to the dance and really embarrassed her. It was where Jane got the nickname, RollyPolyRizzoli." Frankie shook his head.

"That's awful. Jane's perfect." Maura bit her lip. To her, Jane WAS near perfect. Even with the PTSD. Up until recently. "She's gorgeous and brave and..." She stopped herself short, glancing over at Frankie. "Well, you know." She smiled.

"I do know. Jane is the best sister a brother could ever ask for... well When we actually stay in touch." He shrugged. "The second guy abused her and the third was a girl that just used and cheated on her. Jane has had a rough life and now that she's found you, I know you'll never get rid of her, even if you wanted to." Frankie smiled.

Maura stopped at a red light and looked right at Frankie, their eyes meeting. "I'd never do any of those things to Jane. I love her very much and it's not my intention to hurt her. But we are in a bit of a rough patch right now."

He furrowed his brows. "What? Why?"

"Perhaps you should ask your sister when you're having lunch together today. I'll let her explain her side." Maura said softly, pulling back into the parking lot of the hotel and putting the car into park. "Thank you for helping me out today, Frankie."

"Will do." He nodded and got out of the car. "Well, I'm assuming your going back up there to her, so good luck and I really hope things work out between you two. I gotta check in." Frankie smiled. "And you're welcome. Just don't mention it... really... don't."

Maura laughed as they got out of the car and shook her head. "I won't, I promise. I won't even let Jane see the video." She said seriously. "Once you get checked in, come on back to our room. I'll make sure you get that quality time with your sister."

Jane was sitting on the foot of the bed when Maura walked in the room. She didnt look up and didnt speak for a while. "I have gone over so many ways in my head of how to make all this up to you... and I cant think of any that would be good enough. I hate myself for what I did in the past but I cant change it. All I can think about is how all the events in my life lead me to you. It was a very broken and dangerous road but I finally made it to the golden path." Standing up Jane took Maura's hands and looked her in the eye. "I love you and I want to stay with you. One day you'll believe me again but until then and passed that time I wont ever stop proving that."

"I just need you to be more open with me. I feel like there's so much I don't know about you, especially the more others talk. And it's stuff I should be hearing from you, not them. Actions speak louder than words, Jane." Maura squeezed her girlfriend's hands and leaned a bit closer. "Don't tell me how much you love me, show me. Then we'll be in a better place."

"Then just ask. I'll tell you anything you want to know, baby. The last thing I wanna do is hurt you." Leaning in Jane kissed her girlfriend for the first time in what felt like forever. A kiss that she poured every ounce of love and passion she had for Maura into.

It was returned just as fervently. There were no doubts that Jane was the person Maura loved and cherished most in life. Their embrace only came to an end with a knock on the door, Frankie standing on the other side.

Jane kissed Maura once more before sighing and pulling away to look out the peephole. Opening it up she smiled. "Hey bro." Jane welcomed him in with a hug.

"Hey." Frankie smiled and winked at Maura over Jane's shoulder before stepping back from the hug. "So Maura and I were talking and figured you and I could use a little sibling time before I fly back to Boston and you to Texas. Up for some lunch?"

"That would be great actually." Jane,already dress for the day, turned to look at the blonde. "You're okay here?"

"Absolutely." Maura smiled. "Go enjoy a day with your brother. You owe him A LOT." She said with a bit of grin, having fun watching Frankie's reaction.

Walking into the sports bar Jane breathed in deep. "Mm beer is calling my name." She looked over at Frankie after they sat down at the bar. "How's the family?"

"Tommy is talking about popping the question to Lydia. Ma's still seeing Lt. Cavanaugh and really happy. I'm just working my ass off to prove I'm where I belong. We're all good, Janie, but we miss you." Frankie gestured for two beers to the bartender and then continued. "So tell me more about Maura and what you've been doing in Texas and here."

"I miss you all too. I'll come home when I can. I promise." She smiled. "Well I was and i guess still am a ranch hand.. Jake working right along side me. You remember him." she smiled. "Maura... there arent enough words to describe how I feel about her. I love that woman more than she will ever realize." She smiled. "Here? Well I'm trying to get help for my PTSD."

The bartender set their beers down in front of them and Frankie lifted his to take a sip. "More than she'll ever realize? Does she have a reason to doubt your affections, Jane?"

"She does now..." She sighed and swirled her finger over the lip of her bottle. "I met a girl in Kentucky. She fell in love with me. I beat up her abusive boyfriend. I ran." Jane shrugged. "Now Addie is conveniently in Texas on Maura's ranch."

"That is a huge fucking coincidence. You can't get a break, can you?" Frankie sighed. "I'm glad to hear you're dealing with your PTSD, though. I'm proud of you." He smiled. "So this Addie chick. Did you love and leave her?"

"I didnt return the feelings. I left because I couldn't go to jail. Jake would either be left with them or sent to the pound. I couldnt do that to him either." She sighed. "I cant catch a break and I'm getting sick of it."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I can tell that Maura loves you deeply. She may be unsure of your love, but she's clearly dedicated. She's the one who came up with a plan to deal with Ash. She's not given up on you. That's a good sign." He said and took a drink. "When you get back to Texas, show her that Addie can't hold a candle to her."

"Addie can never hold a candle to Maura. The woman is perfect. Honestly, I don't deserve her. I've attacked her twice because of my PTSD. I'm not the best person to be around. Yeah, I'm getting help but, that's just putting a chain on a wild animal." Jane finally picked up her beer and took a good long drawl.

"PTSD is a condition, Jane, it doesn't define you. You'll get the help you need and then you'll move on random attack free." Frankie chugged the rest of his beer. "And you know what? Maura said the same thing about you. That you're perfect." He noted with the tilt of his head.

Jane smiled . "Yeah? Well she's just blinded by biasness." She chuckled.

Frankie laughed, too. "No kidding. You're a pain in the ass, really."

"Hey!" She hit his shoulder playfully. "We'll your not a spring time bunny yourself."

"I'm freaking adorable! And super nice to the ladies. Carrie seemed pretty charmed by this Rizzoli." He grinned.

Jane laughed. "Yeah how did that go? And please no details in the bedroom."

"Then I guess there's nothing to tell." He winked, taking a sip from the new beer the bartender had set in front of him. "Really though, we had a nice evening together. She's an interesting character." He smiled.

"Ugh!" Jane shook her head with a smirk. "Yeah she is." She laughed. "She was my room mate for a little while."

"Yeah, she told me. She thinks you're cute, too, but said she'd never go for ya because you're obviously head over heels for Maura." He grinned. "I learned a lot last night."

Jane chuckled. "That's because I am cute... in a rough way." She smirked. "Oh? And what else did you learn, little brother?"

"More than I'm sure you want to know." Frankie grinned as he lifted his mug. "So tell me, do you think you and Jake will become permanent residents of Texas?"

"I think so." Jane smiled. "But I really want to bring her to Boston to meet the family and all."

"You should. Ma would love her. So would Tommy, but he'll soon be off the market for good so no worries." He chuckled.

"You... think Ma would be okay with me dating a woman again? She wasn't thrilled when I brought home Shanna."

"I know she wasn't, but she's had a lot of time to think about it since, you know, you've been gone for months. She just wants you to be happy, Janie. And Maura's great."

Jane nodded. "I just don't want to bring Maura and have her witness drama and make her feel bad because of it ya know."

"I know." Frankie nodded. "Why don't you talk to mom? See what she has to say before you bring Maura out."

"I could." She shrugged.

"You should." He added pointedly.

"Fine I will." Jane chuckled then held up her finger for another beer and an order of loaded nachos. "This lunch is on me, by the way. Oh and I've got to take you to the casinos around here."

"This will probably be my one and only time in Sin City, so yeah. Definitely gotta go to the casinos. And lunch better be on you after that bail money I spent." Frankie shoved his sister's shoulder playfully with a grin.

Jane laughed. "Yeah Yeah." She smiled. "But seriously... I really do appreciate you getting me out and helping Maura get the dirt on Ash."

"Well I'm your brother, Janie. I love you. It's what I do." He smiled.

"Yeah I love you too. If you were in the same situation, I'd do the same for you."

"I know you would."

Frankie and Jane spent the day just catching up and checking out the sights before heading back to the hotel where they parted in the lobby. There was laughter coming out of Jane's room that could be heard out in the hall. And not all of it was Maura's.

Jane's brow raised as she silently opened the door to the room. "Maur?" She asked before stepping in.

Maura was seated on the bed cross legged, Carrie in the chair next to the mattress. Both looked up at the former solider at the same time. "Hi, Jane." Maura smiled. "How was your day with Frankie?"

"I know my night with him was good." Carrie leaned close to the blonde and whispered, Maura chuckling lightly.

The brunette smiled. "Hey." She closed the door then. "It was great actually." Walking over she kissed Maura's lips lightly. Standing straight she looked toward Carrie. "Hey, girl" She smiled. "I am going to take a shower, Maur, so don't let me interrupt your convo." Jane said looking back at her girlfriend.

"Oh. Okay." Maura said softly, watching Jane walk off and disappear into the bathroom before turning her full attention back to Carrie. "So you're probably never going to see Frankie again? Did you get enough of him?"

"I would like to see him again. Frankie's fun in more ways than one." Carrie said with a soft smile. "The Rizzoli's have swag and great personalities. I would have gone for Jane if I didn't know she was so in love with you."

"Jane is extremely appealing. It's hard not to notice her when she walks into a room." Maura smiled. "And Frankie is quite handsome. Plus you're right in that they both have great personalities and swag. Though Jane moreso on the latter." She grinned.

"She does have a shit load of swag. You've gotten lucky, babe." The redhead laughed. "So tell me... how is she between the sheets?"

"I... I don't know if I should say. It wouldn't be very lady-like of me and Jane IS right in the next room." Maura blushed slightly and laughed.

Eh she's naked under some hot water. She can't hear." Carrie grinned. "C'mon spill. I told you about me and Frankie."

"You told me voluntarily!" Maura chuckled. "But I will say that she is very good at what she does. The best I've ever had."

"Best you've ever had huh? Even better than the men?" Carrie grinned. "She's got great lips, I bet she's an amazing kisser, huh?"

"All of the above." Maura smiled. "She's heaps and bounds better than any male lover I've ever had. And don't get any ideas with that knowledge." She teased.

"Oh honey don't worry. The two of you have a love story people should write about. No one should ever screw that up."

Maura smiled warmly. "Thank you, Carrie. I know there's no one who could ever come between us on my end for sure." Jane walked out of the bathroom then and Maura turned to give her a smile. "Nice and clean now?"

Jane smiled and pulled her damp hair into a messy bun. "All squeaky." She chuckled. "So what are you girls talking about?" She asked as she plopped down between them.

Maura grabbed a pillow and buried her face in it out of shame, her cheeks turning bright red. Carrie just laughed. "No worries. I wouldn't share something that'd scar you forever." She winked.

Maura lifted her head then to look over at Jane. "Here. Let me help." She moved closer and took the gauze from her girlfriend to wrap her arm for her.

Jane looked into Maura's golden eyes and smiled. "Thanks." she whispered then turned to Carrie. "I am curious as to what Maura said about me." The soldier smirked and looked back at her girlfriend.

Maura's cheeks turned even redder, Carrie chuckling. "It was nothing but good stuff about how you rock her world til the sun comes up."

"Hey!" Maura hollered.

"Oh is that so?" Jane bit her lip and chuckled. "Well I'm glad it was good things. I try to let Maura know just how much I love and cherish her in every way possible." She winked at her girlfriend.

Maura's blush deepened but she smiled at her lover.

Carrie was having a blast just watching the pair. "You two are too cute for words. Makes me wanna vom." She grinned.

Jane laughed hard, throwing her head back. "Gee thanks... I think." She smirks at both the red head then at Maura. "So did you girls have anything planned for tonight?"

"No, but I thought maybe you'd like to spend it with Frankie since he'll be flying home soon." Maura said softly.

Carrie added her two cents quickly. "We could always go on a double date."

"A double date could work actually. Best of both worlds." She smiled then looked down at the new bandage on her arm. "Nothing fancy... I don't have the clothes for it." She smirked.

"Hell, what makes you think I'd ever want fancy?" Carrie blurted, Maura laughing.

"Someplace modest and quiet sounds like the perfect spot right now." She added, bending over to press a gentle kiss to Jane's wound.

Jane gave her girlfriend the sweetest smile then looked at Carrie. "I'm sure you know where his room is, why don't you go tell him?" She asked with a wink. The solder needed to speak with Maura anyway.

**Well... this was long over due. Lol Hope you enjoyed it.**

**Reviews are very much appreciated.**


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